British citizens face a new “specific threat” in northern Somalia and should leave the region immediately, the Foreign Office warned on Sunday.

Officials refused to give details of the updated travel advice, but highlighted that “kidnapping for financial or political gain, motivated by criminality or terrorism” remains a threat across Somalia.

The fresh warning focused on Somaliland, a self-governing province in the country’s north, where the Foreign Office said it was “now aware of a specific threat to Westerners”.

The British government advises against all travel to Somalia and Somaliland, and last night urged “any British nationals who remain there against our advice to leave immediately”.

Somaliland has been largely peaceful in comparison to the majority of southern and central Somalia, where Islamist armies allied to al-Qaeda have until recently controlled large swathes of territory.

But there are concerns that international efforts against both al-Shabaab and pirates further south may be pushing these problems north towards Somaliland.

In its neighbouring region, Puntland, several police officers and soldiers have been killed or kidnapped by al-Shabaab, which is now understood to be regrouping in the area’s mountainous hinterland.

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