The approaching one-year anniversary of Hamas' deadly terrorist attacks on Israel and continuing unrest in the Middle East could motivate violent acts by extremists, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said in a joint public statement on Friday. The warning does not identify any specific or credible threats against the United States, but it comes ahead of Monday's anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and calls by foreign terrorist groups for violence against Western nations, the agencies said. The warning also comes as Israel carries out a deadly attack on Hezbollah headquarters in Lebanon and is considering a response to Iran's recent ballistic missile attacks.
As CNN reported, police departments across the country have stepped up patrols around Jewish and Islamic sites in response to recent tensions in the Middle East and the upcoming October 7th Memorial Day and Jewish holidays. The New York Police Department stepped up patrols on Monday, a law enforcement source told CNN, and these should continue for the next two weeks. The NYPD will work with state police to conduct explosive detection missions on bridges and tunnels, and helicopter units will also be used for radiation detection, the source said. And the Los Angeles Police Department announced last week that the increased patrols will include more officers, emergency vehicles and mounted units. Police in Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia also stepped up patrols. The FBI and DHS said in a joint statement on Friday that "Jewish, Muslim and Arab institutions, including synagogues, mosques/Islamic centers and community centers, as well as large public gatherings such as memorials, vigils and other lawful demonstrations, have become attractive targets for violent acts and simulated threats by a variety of threat actors, including violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators." "Always be aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to authorities," the statement continued. Authorities believe that foreign terrorist organizations are likely exploiting "narratives" surrounding hostilities involving Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran to inspire lone actors to commit violent acts on U.S. soil. So-called "lone actors" who are not formally part of a terrorist group pose a particularly significant challenge for law enforcement, security officials previously told CNN. "The fact that terrorist groups are communicating with each other presents some opportunities for misusing our surveillance capabilities," one official said, but noted it would be harder to identify a lone attacker who doesn't communicate his or her attack plans to anyone. CNN's Whitney Wilde, Ryan Young, Mark Morales and Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.
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