A masked man in a purported al-Shabaab video urges followers to use the 2013 Nairobi, Kenya, mall attack as inspiration for attacks on malls around the
A masked man in a purported al-Shabaab video urges followers to use the 2013 Nairobi, Kenya, mall attack as inspiration for attacks on malls around the world including the Mall of America in Bloomington.


Mall of America officials increased security on Saturday after a terror group linked to al-Qaida released an online video that appears to call for an attack on the popular shopping destination.

Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab specifically named the Mall of America, the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta and London's Oxford Street in the more than hour long video that was being circulated on Twitter.

Federal law enforcement officials told CBS News that they are investigating the video.

Mall of America officials released a statement Saturday saying that they were aware of the video that mentions the megamall and shows an image of it and its GPS coordinates.

"We will continue to monitor events with the help of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies," according to the statement.

Interior corridor on the east side of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Mn. on Thursday, August 14, 2014.  (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)


Interior corridor on the east side of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Mn. on Thursday, August 14, 2014. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)


"As always, we take any potential threat seriously and respond appropriately. Mall of America has implemented extra security precautions, some may be noticeable to guests, and others won't be."


In 2013, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for an attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya; more than 60 people were killed in the four-day siege.

The video posted Saturday shows six minutes of graphic images celebrating the Westgate Mall attack. Near the end of the video, a masked man wearing a camouflage jacket appears on screen.

"If just a handful of mujahedeen fighters could bring Kenya to a complete standstill for nearly a week then imagine what a dedicated mujahedeen in the West could do to the American or Jewish-owned shopping centers across the world?" he asks.

"What if such an attack were to occur in the Mall of America in Minnesota? Or the West Edmonton Mall in Canada? Or in London's Oxford Street? ... What would be the implications of such an attack? One could only imagine. And all it takes is a man with firm determination ... so hurry up, hasten towards heaven and do not hesitate."
 

On Friday, the Somali-based group claimed responsibility for suicide attacks at a hotel in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, that left 25 people dead and 40 wounded.