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Bengaluru — The US faces heightened threats from extremist groups domestic and foreign, underscored by last month’s hostage standoff crisis in a Texas synagogue and bomb threats at many historically black colleges and universities, a US government agency says.
The warning comes after some schools across the US cancelled classes and issued shelter-in-place orders last week. Investigators failed to turn up any explosives.
“Threats directed at historically black colleges and universities and other colleges and universities, Jewish facilities, and churches cause concern and may inspire extremist threat actors to mobilise to violence,” the homeland security department said.
Last month, British-born gunman Malik Faisal Akram took four people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, including its rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker. He brandished a gun and held them hostage for 10 hours. The standoff ended in gunfire, with all four hostages released unharmed and the suspect dead.
“Supporters of foreign terrorist organisations have encouraged copycat attacks after the January 15, 2022, attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas,” the federal agency said.
The US intelligence community warned months ago of a threat that racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, would seek to carry out mass-casualty attacks on civilians. The US remains in a heightened threat environment, the department said on Monday.
“Foreign terrorists remain intent on targeting the US and US persons, and may seek to capitalise on the evolving security environment overseas to plot attacks.”
The agency warned that the Islamic State or its affiliates may issue public calls for retaliation due to a US special forces raid in Syria last week that led to the death of the group’s leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
US remains on alert for extremism violence
Bengaluru — The US faces heightened threats from extremist groups domestic and foreign, underscored by last month’s hostage standoff crisis in a Texas synagogue and bomb threats at many historically black colleges and universities, a US government agency says.
The warning comes after some schools across the US cancelled classes and issued shelter-in-place orders last week. Investigators failed to turn up any explosives.
“Threats directed at historically black colleges and universities and other colleges and universities, Jewish facilities, and churches cause concern and may inspire extremist threat actors to mobilise to violence,” the homeland security department said.
Last month, British-born gunman Malik Faisal Akram took four people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, including its rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker. He brandished a gun and held them hostage for 10 hours. The standoff ended in gunfire, with all four hostages released unharmed and the suspect dead.
“Supporters of foreign terrorist organisations have encouraged copycat attacks after the January 15, 2022, attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas,” the federal agency said.
The US intelligence community warned months ago of a threat that racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, would seek to carry out mass-casualty attacks on civilians. The US remains in a heightened threat environment, the department said on Monday.
“Foreign terrorists remain intent on targeting the US and US persons, and may seek to capitalise on the evolving security environment overseas to plot attacks.”
The agency warned that the Islamic State or its affiliates may issue public calls for retaliation due to a US special forces raid in Syria last week that led to the death of the group’s leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi.
Reuters
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