US officials say, a Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria caused a disturbance on board a jet airliner by igniting some firecrackers. The plane, an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers was on its way from Amsterdam to the US city of Detroit. The passenger said, he was acting on behalf of al-Qaeda when he tried to blow up the flight as it landed in Detroit. Some passengers received minor injuries, including the person who sparked the incident. One of the US intelligence officials said, the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it. The White House describes the incident as an attempted act of<br/>terrorism. In a statement it says, the US is put on high alert. President Barack Obama has ordered increased security for air travel. It said, the President is actively monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates.<br/>