US foils al-Qaeda bid to bomb American plane

"As a result of close cooperation with our security and intelligence partners overseas, an Improvised Expolsive Device (IED) designed to carry out a terrorist attack has been seized abroad," the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

The White House said the President was informed about it in April and since has received regular update on it. "While the President was assured that the device did not pose a threat to the public, he directed the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement and intelligence agencies to take whatever steps necessary to guard against this type of attack," Deputy Spokesperson of National Security Council Caitlin Hayden said.

He said that President Obama thanked all the concerned authorities for their "outstanding" efforts in foiling the bid. "The disruption of this IED plot underscores the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism here and abroad," Hayden said.

In its statement, the FBI said it currently had the possession of the IED and was conducting technical and forensics analysis on it. "Initial exploitation indicates that the device is very similar to IEDs that have been used previously by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in attempted terrorist attacks, including against aircraft and for targeted assassinations," it said.