By News18
The United States has been put on 鈥榓lert鈥 after federal officials have warned about potential 鈥榣one wolf terror attacks鈥 targeting July 4 Independence Day celebrations. The alert comes amid heightened tensions following the recent military action by the US in the Middle East.
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies issued a joint bulletin in late June saying 鈥渢he most significant terrorism threat facing the Macy鈥檚 4th of July Fireworks stems from lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence鈥.
The assessment issued by the agencies stated that these individuals are often motivated by a broad range of racial, ethnic, political, religious, anti-government, societal, or personal grievances, reported CNN.
The assessment further noted that the threat is not limited to New York City, but other large gatherings could be the target.
Prior Warning In Previous Attacks
While such threat assessments before major events are not uncommon for the authorities, several recent attacks have raised concerns. Recently, on January 1, a driver intentionally rammed a truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans鈥 bustling French Quarter, killing 14 people.
Notably, a month prior to the massacre, the FBI and DHS warned about the threat of violence from lone offenders, CNN reported.
Israel-Hamas Tensions
Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have been linked to a spate of recent violence in the United States, and authorities say similar attacks could erupt on July 4. 鈥淢ost attackers motivated at least in part by the Israel-HAMAS conflict have selected targets with a symbolic link to Israel, houses of worship, or locations associated with houses of worship. Individuals with grievances linked to the conflict could also perceive large gatherings, such as Independence Day celebrations, as opportunistic targets symbolic of the West in general,鈥 the threat assessment said.