Man charged with bomb threat against US consulate in Canada

Canadian police on Tuesday charged a man with making a bomb threat against the US consulate in Halifax, the latest security incident involving an American diplomatic post in Canada after two shootings at the US consulate in Toronto this year.

Several streets downtown were evacuated after Halifax Regional Police found a car linked to the suspect, Ali Assakereh, parked near the consulate on Monday morning. The vehicle contained a propane tank and containers believed to hold flammable liquids, police said

Police said Assakereh, 54, was scheduled to appear in provincial court on charges of uttering threats and public mischief. They said they learned of the threat on Sunday night.

An explosives expert later determined the items in the vehicle posed no threat to public safety, and the evacuation was lifted Monday afternoon.

A spokesperson for the US embassy in Ottawa said on Monday that US officials would not comment on a security matter while the police investigation was continuing.

The Halifax case follows two shootings this year at the US consulate in Toronto, Canada’s largest city.