Military families leaving Bahrain

WASHINGTON — The State Department said Saturday it has authorized the voluntary departure of family members and nonemergency employees of the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain because of potential terrorist attacks.

The announcement follows an advisory issued Thursday in which the State Department cautioned Americans against traveling to Bahrain and advised Americans who live there to leave because of information that extremists are planning attacks in Bahrain.

Neither Thursday’s warning nor the Saturday announcement elaborated on reported threats except to say terrorists were at large and that the information was credible.

The Pentagon said Friday it is withdrawing service members’ families and nonessential personnel from Bahrain for at least 30 days in response to the information.

The relocation announced by the Pentagon is mandatory and the military also is suspending travel to Bahrain for all other personnel.

Bahrain is home to the Navy’s 5th Fleet, which operates in the Persian Gulf.