Shopping centre near Pentagon given 'all-clear' after bomb threat

Arlington County Police said in a tweet on Friday they gave the "all-clear" to a shopping centre near the headquarters of the US Defense Department, with business returning to normal and roads re-opening after bomb-sniffing dogs inspected the area.

Arlington County Police said in a tweet on Friday they gave the "all-clear" to a shopping centre near the headquarters of the US Defense Department, with business returning to normal and roads re-opening after bomb-sniffing dogs inspected the area.

The stores had been evacuated after an anonymous bomb threat was made to the centre on Friday afternoon, Arlington County Police Department spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm said.

Some roads in the area had also been closed, the police department said, while the entrance to the Metrorail station near the shopping centre was closed, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The retail area, known as the Pentagon Centre, is located at 1201 South Hayes Street, less than a mile from the Pentagon.

Malcolm said the shopping centre's management received a phone call shortly before 12:20 p.m. EDT and made the decision to evacuate. He said canine units from multiple jurisdictions were brought in to participate in the sweep.