ABU DHABI – The United States has again warned of terrorist attack in Kuwait.

Despite a crackdown by Kuwaiti authorities, the U.S. embassy warned warned of an imminent attack by Al Qaida-aligned insurgents in Kuwait. The embassy said operatives have conducted surveillance of a Western residence, Middle East Newsline reported.

"[The embassy] has "information that the group behind the recent shootings did not distinguish between official and civilian targets and that they conducted surveillance of at least one facility known to house a large number of Western civilians," the embassy said in a recent statement.

The embassy statement was the fourth in January that warned Americans in Kuwait of an attack. There are about 25,000 U.S. soldiers and another 12,000 American civilians in Kuwait.

Al Qaida-aligned insurgents have engaged in two gun battles with Kuwaiti police near Western residences. The embassy said the buildings – the Alia and Ghaliya towers in Fintas, south of Kuwait City – have come under additional security measures.

"Heightened security awareness should be exercised in all residential complexes, as terrorists have specifically targeted a variety of Western housing facilities in the past," the embassy said.

For the first time, the embassy detailed a 2003 plot against a Western residence in Kuwait. The embassy said a young Kuwaiti was arrested with a bomb near Fintas. There was no attack reported on the residential tower.

The embassy statement reiterated the appeal for Americans to maintain a low profile, avoid areas where Westerners are known to congregate and report any suspicious activity to police.