The Federal Bureau of Investigation said last night it was hunting five men in its war on terrorism and asked the public to be on the lookout for them.
In a posting on its website titled "Seeking Information, War on Terrorism," the FBI displayed pictures of the men and named them as Mr Abid Noraiz Ali (25), Mr Iftikhar Khozmai Ali (21), Mr Mustafa Khan Owasi (33), Mr Adil Pervez (19), and Mr Akbar Jamal (28).
"Although the FBI has no specific information that these individuals are connected to any potential terrorist activities, based upon information developed in the course of ongoing investigations, the FBI would like to locate and question these persons," the agency said.
It said the men were thought to have entered the US illegally on or about December 24th but cautioned that the names and ages could be fictitious.
The FBI said the information had been circulated to law enforcement agencies around the country and throughout the world. "Anyone with any information pertaining to these individuals is asked to contact their nearest FBI office," the FBI said.
It gave no further details, but CNN reported the men were thought to have entered the US from neighboring Canada.