New York City police said on Wednesday (November 18) they are aware of a newly released Islamic State video suggesting the largest city in the United States was a potential target of attacks such as those in Paris last week, but that they were not aware of any current or specific threats.
“While some of the video footage is not new, the video reaffirms the message that New York City remains a top terrorist target,” Stephen Davis, a Deputy NYPD Commissioner, said in a statement. “While there is no current or specific threat to the city at this time, we will remain at a heightened state of vigilance.”
The video, which runs for nearly six minutes, includes a scene that appears to show a suicide bomber making preparations and zipping up a leather jacket, according to a description provided by SITE Intelligence Group, a Bethesda, Maryland, organization that tracks jihadist groups and white supremacists.
The clip shows a brief glimpse of Times Square and then of a suicide bomber holding what appears to be a trigger, it said. Most of the footage shows scenes of Paris and French President Francois Hollande.
“Footage of New York shown in the ISIS video was taken from a video released by the group in April of this year. So while NYC is and has been a target for ISIS, today’s video does not warrant any kind of panic,” SITE director Rita Katz said in an email to Reuters. (Reuters)
