FILE PHOTO: U.S. Department of Homeland Security emblem is pictured at the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) located just outside Washington in Arlington, Virginia September 24, 2010. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang/File Photo/File Photo
WASHINGTON — The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned on Friday that domestic extremists could take advantage of easing COVID-19 restrictions to launch attacks on a broader range of targets.
In a new national terrorism advisory bulletin, DHS said the United States in 2021 is “facing threats that have evolved significantly and become increasingly complex and volatile,” including threats posed by domestic terrorists, by individuals and by “groups engaged in grievance-based violence”.
DHS said social media and online forums “are increasingly exploited by these actors to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and activity.”