US advises citizens against going to Mali

The department is also urging Americans already in Mali to “review their personal safety and security plans” to decide if they should leave.

The advisory issued on Tuesday advises US citizens to remain vigilant and “avoid public gatherings and locations frequented by foreigners.”

Last month, heavily armed Islamic extremists attacked a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital, Bamako. Twenty people, including one American, were killed.

The State Department says the US Embassy in Mali will provide only emergency consular services “for the foreseeable future.”