Several US military bases in Europe have raised their alert levels to levels not seen in “at least 10 years” amid growing fears of possible terrorist attacks on troops or facilities, US media reported.
The bases raised their alert level to “Charlie” Force Protection, the second-highest threat level on Sunday. According to the US Army, “Charlie” mode is put in place when “an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating the likelihood of terrorist activity or an attack on personnel or facilities.”
The US Army garrison in Stuttgart, Germany, home to the headquarters of US European Command (USEUCOM), is one of the bases on high alert. According to Stars and Stripes, an independent military publication, similar alerts have been sent to other bases in Germany, including the US air base Ramstein.
Bases in Italy, Romania and Bulgaria also received the alert, media reports said.
A US official based in Europe confirmed to CNN that the move indicates the military has received an “active credible threat,” adding that they have not seen this level of threat in “at least 10 years.”
Spokesperson for US European Command, commander Dan Day, told the outlet that it is “constantly assessing a variety of factors that play into the safety of US military community abroad.” He also added:
For operational security reasons we will not get into specific measures, but we remain vigilant. As always, USEUCOM advises personnel in the European theater to remain vigilant and stay alert at all times.
USEUCOM declined to give details of the intelligence received that raised the terrorist threat level.
It came after European authorities warned of a potential terrorist threat ahead of the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26. France raised its national security alert system to its highest level in March, according to the US Embassy in France. The embassy said:
Attacks may happen with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, major sporting and cultural events, and other public areas that attract large numbers of civilians.
