Owner of Aurora's Fox Valley Mall Threatened by Somali Terrorists

A terror group is calling for attacks on shopping centers owned by the Westfield Group, and three of the Australian company’s malls are in the Chicago suburbs — Skokie, Vernon Hills and Aurora.

Reports TheAustralian.com:

Somalia-based terror group al-Shabaab, which stormed a Kenya shopping centre in 2013, killing 62 and injuring many more, issued a video this morning specifically calling for mujahideen to attack the Westfield centres, which were developed by the Australian company headed by Frank Lowy. The video also named the busy Oxford Street in the heart of the British capital as well as shopping malls in the United States and Canada as targets for its terrorist members.

The Mall of America in Minnesota is specifically named in the video, as are two London malls, but the masked terrorist encourages attacks on all Westfield malls. “Can you imagine what a dedicated mujahedeen in the West could do to the American and Jewish-owned shopping centres across the world?” he says.

Fox Chicago News spoke with shoppers at Westfield’s Old Orchard Mall in Skokie. “I think you should always be aware of your surroundings no matter what,” said Susan Schad.

Westfield also owns the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora and the Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills.

Police in Skokie, Vernon Hills and Aurora said they know of the threat and are responding appropriately. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security told news media they are taking the threat seriously.

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