U.S. ISSUES ALERT OF INSURGENCY STRIKE IN SUDAN WASHINGTON — The United States has issued an alert of an imminent insurgency strike against Westerners in Sudan. The U.S. embassy in Khartoum has warned Americans in Sudan of an imminent insurgency strike by an Islamist group. In a warden message on Thursday, the embassy said it was informed by the United Nations Mission in Sudan that an "extremist group based in the country is likely to target Western interests." "Given the focus of extremists on the UN presence in Sudan, it is possible that the primary target of this threat is the UN," the warden message said. Neither the Sudanese government nor the UN confirmed the threat cited in the warden message. But UN diplomats have warned of increasing threats by Al Qaida and other Islamic fighters against the Western presence in the country. Relations between Washington and Khartoum have deteriorated over the last year. Khartoum has accused the Bush administration of seeking to undermine the regime of President Omar Bashir through the introduction of foreign forces in Darfour. "The new American strategy for dismantling the Sudanese government from within is based on inciting international pressure on Khartoum through human rights institutions and by bringing into the country elements opposed to the government," Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail said. More than 1,000 Americans were believed to be in Sudan. They include U.S. government staffers in Khartoum, volunteers as well as contractors in southern Sudan. Only a small number of Americans were believed to be in the war-torn province of Darfour. State Department officials did not identify the Islamic group that sought to attack Westerners in Sudan. But they said insurgents would not distinguish between official and civilian targets. "U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness," the embassy said. "Americans should regularly evaluate their personal security practices, exercise caution near likely targets, and take prudent steps to ensure personal safety."