(CNN)- The anniversary of the deadly terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East could serve as a motivator for acts of violence by extremists, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said in a joint public announcement Friday.
Although they did not identify specific or credible threats to the United States, the agencies said the advisory came ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel and calls for violence against the West by foreign terrorist groups.
The warning comes even as Israel carries out deadly strikes on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Lebanon and evaluates a response to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.
As CNN reported, law enforcement agencies across the country have increased patrols around Jewish and Muslim institutions in response to recent tensions in the Middle East, 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. These are expected to continue for the next two weeks. The source said the department will also partner with the state police for bridge and tunnel explosive detection missions and helicopter units will be used for radiation detection.
For its part, the Los Angeles Police Department said last week that its increased patrols will include an increased number of on-duty officers, command post vehicles and mounted units.
Police have also increased patrolling in Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia.
In their joint announcement Friday, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security 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 false 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 activity to authorities,” the announcement said.
The agencies assessed that foreign terrorist organizations will continue to “exploit narratives about hostilities involving Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran to incite lone attackers to commit violence in the United States.”
Security sources previously told CNN that so-called “lone wolves,” who are not formally part of any terrorist group, pose a particularly serious challenge to authorities.
One source said, “A group of terrorists communicating with each other provides multiple avenues for potential exploitation by using our surveillance capabilities,” but noted the more difficult task of locating a single individual who could use their surveillance capabilities. Cannot tell anyone about the attack plans.