Israeli Counter Terrorism Bureau issued a worldwide travel advisory on Thursday, warning Israelis against possible abduction attempts abroad in the wake of the assassination of Hezbollah commander Imad Moughniyah.

 

The warning came after Lebanon's Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israeli targets for its alleged involvement in the assassination.

 

"Hezbollah charges Israel time and again with Imad Moughniyah's death, a fact that may boost the threat of Hezbollah terror threats on Israeli targets abroad," said the warning.

 

Israeli army and embassies were also instructed to raise the alert level.

 

The Bureau advised Israelis abroad to avoid attending large gatherings, and has upped its abduction warning, especially those who have business connections with Arab and Muslim business people.

 

Additional representative bodies, such as Israel's airline and Jewish Agency branches overseas have also been instructed to heighten their alert level.

 

Moughniyah was killed in a car bombing in a residential neighborhood in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday night.

 

Hezbollah accused Israel of ordering the assassination, but Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office denied any involvement.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2008)