US security officials warn of potential threats surrounding October 7th anniversary
By Josh Campbell, CNN
(CNN) — The upcoming one-year anniversary of the deadly terror attack on Israel by Hamas and continued Middle East turmoil could serve as motivators for acts of violence by extremists, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said in a joint public announcement Friday.
While not identifying any specific or credible threats to the United States, the advisory comes ahead of Monday’s anniversary of the October 7th attack in Israel and calls by foreign terrorist groups for violence against the West, the agencies said.
The advisory also comes as Israel carries out deadly strikes against Hezbollah headquarters in Lebanon, and as it weighs a response to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.
As CNN has reported, police agencies across the country have ramped up patrols around Jewish and Muslim institutions in response to recent Middle East tensions, the upcoming October 7 anniversary, and the Jewish High Holidays.
The New York Police Department increased patrols on Monday, a law enforcement source told CNN. Those are expected to be maintained throughout the next two weeks. NYPD will also partner with state police for explosive detection missions at bridges and tunnels, and helicopter units will be used for radiation detection, the source said.
And the Los Angeles Police Department said last week its ramped up patrols would include an increased number of officers on the beat, command post vehicles, and horse mounted units.
Police in Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia have also heightened patrols.
In its joint announcement Friday, the FBI and DHS said: “Jewish, Muslim, or Arab institutions — including synagogues, mosques/Islamic centers, and community centers — and large public gatherings, such as memorials, vigils, or other lawful demonstrations, present attractive targets for violent attacks or for hoax threats by a variety of threat actors, including violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators.”
“Be aware of your surroundings at all times and report suspicious activities to the authorities,” the announcement added.
The agencies assessed that foreign terrorist organizations will likely continue to “exploit narratives” surrounding hostilities involving Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, in order to incite lone attackers toward violence in the US.
So-called “lone wolves,” who are not formally part of a terror group, present an especially serious challenge to law enforcement, security sources have previously told CNN.
“A group of terrorists communicating with each other provides various avenues for possible exploitation using our surveillance capabilities,” one source said, but noted the more difficult task of detecting a lone individual who may not telegraph their attack plans to anyone.
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CNN’s Whitney Wild, Ryan Young, Mark Morales and Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.
