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EPA FILE

New York, NY - The NYPD is keeping security tight amid news that radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in an air strike by U.S. forces in Yemen.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Friday that police are worried that al-Awlaki has followers in the city “who might want to avenge his death.”

The department initially amped up security earlier this month. That action followed reports that Al Qaeda was planning a car bombing to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. It has been on high alert ever since.

The measures include assigning more patrol officers to the subways. The NYPD also has set up car checkpoints in Times Square and elsewhere.

The Obama administration says the killing of the U.S.-born cleric in Yemen has raised the risk of anti-American violence worldwide.

The State Department says the death of Anwar al-Awlaki would provide motivation for individuals or groups to retaliate against U.S. citizens or American interests.

A department warning issued Saturday notes that al-Awlaki and other members of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula previously called for attacks against the U.S., and the warning says his supporters could seek to avenge his death.

Al-Awlaki was killed during an attack on his convoy early Friday.

The State Department issued a similar alert after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. This latest alert is set to expire at the end of November.

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