NEW YORK, Rabi'II 19, 1437, January 29, 2016, SPA -- New York and New Jersey's cargo terminals shut down on Friday after thousands of longshoremen walked off the job, shuttering one of the country's busiest port networks, according to Reuters. The employees stopped working around 11 a.m. (1600 GMT). It was not immediately clear what had prompted the walkout. In a statement, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the terminals, urged members of the International Longshoremen's Association to "return to work immediately and resolve their differences after they return." Port Authority police were dispatched to the terminals to ensure public safety, the statement said. --SPA 23:08 LOCAL TIME 20:08 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w