'WELCOME REFUGEES!' ISIS Threats Terrorize Communities in Northern VA... "Related To Afghan Refugees"
Police in Northern Virginia are on a heightened state of alert as a new law enforcement alert warned of a potential threat against malls and shopping centers located just outside of Washington, D.C. The threat originated with ISIS and is the basis for the alert.
"We have increased our police presence throughout the county to include major thoroughfares, transit hubs, shopping plazas and shopping malls," Fairfax County police chief Kevin Davis said Friday.
Police said the increased law enforcement presence will be in place through the Halloween weekend and ahead of Virginia's gubernatorial election. Law enforcement officials said they are acting out of an abundance of caution, and as they learn more about the threat, the increased law enforcement presence could be extended through Tuesday's election.
ISIS has been more active since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August. Officials say threats from the international terrorist group and al Qaeda are accelerating.
Reporter and columnist Jack Posobiec confirmed via Twitter that these threats are related to refugees:
BREAKING: Two US officials tell @HumanEvents that the ISIS threat alert in Northern VA / DC region is related to Afghan refugees
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 30, 2021
The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence chief John Cohen said this week that the terror groups want individuals to act on their own — so-called lone wolf attacks — overseas and at home.
"Right now we're seeing a dramatic increase — or an increase — in online activity by media operations associated with different al Qaeda elements and Islamic State," Cohen said.
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