This file photo taken on May 05, 2016 shows the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow. (AFP PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry said Friday that risks of terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States are rising during the upcoming New Year holiday.

The likelihood of terrorist attacks in major cities will increase between December 20 and January 20, the ministry's department for emergency management said briefly on Twitter.

The department did not disclose whether it had obtained intelligence about such attacks.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department also issued a Europe travel alert, warning its citizens of the "heightened risk of terrorist attacks" throughout the region.

Recent incidents in multiple European countries demonstrate that the Islamic State militant group and al-Qaida and their affiliates are still capable of planning and executing terrorist attacks in Europe, the State Department said.