Canadian police have charged a man with making a bomb threat against the U.S. Consulate in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The charge is the latest security incident involving an American diplomatic post in Canada, following two shootings at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto this year.
Authorities received the threat on Sunday night. On Monday morning, Halifax Regional Police located a vehicle linked to the suspect, Ali Assakereh, parked near the consulate. The vehicle contained a propane tank and containers suspected of holding flammable liquids. Several downtown streets were evacuated as a precaution.
Assakereh, 54, was scheduled to appear in provincial court on charges of uttering threats and public mischief. An explosives expert later determined that the items in the vehicle posed no threat to public safety, and the evacuation was lifted on Monday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa stated that U.S. officials would not comment on an ongoing security matter while police investigations continue.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, Canada's largest city, was targeted in two separate incidents. In March, two individuals fired multiple shots at the downtown consulate, causing damage to the building but resulting in no injuries. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police classified that event as a national security incident. On July 27, a single shot was fired at the consulate. Toronto police subsequently arrested a 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, and investigators were examining potential links to a broader gun-for-hire network. No one was injured in that incident.
Authorities have not indicated any connection between the Halifax threat and the Toronto shootings.