U.S. warns of terror threat to Uganda airport

The U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, warned Americans in the country on Thursday of a "specific threat to attack Entebbe International Airport by an unknown terrorist group" in the coming hours, according to information passed on to the Embassy by Ugandan police and intelligence officials.

A written statement posted on the Embassy's website said the alleged attack was expected to occur between the hours of 9 p.m and 11 p.m. local time (2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern) on Thursday.

"Individuals planning travel through the airport this evening may want to review their plans in light of this information," warned the Embassy.

Al-Shabab, a Somalia-based Islamic extremist group with links to al Qaeda, has previously launched an attack in Uganda, setting off a pair of bombs amid a crowd of World Cup fans in 2010 which left 74 people dead.

The U.S. Embassy, in its message Thursday, reminded Americans in the central African nation that there was a "continued threat of potential terrorist attacks in the country" targeting virtually all places where members of the public gather, including malls, hotels and restaurants.

The very specific warning about a potential attack not only on a specific site, but within a very narrow time window, was unusual.