U.S. Hospitals Warned of Potential Multi-City Terror Threat
Hospitals in the United States have been warned about a potential terror threat and have been urged to evaluate their physical security, cybersecurity, and emergency management plans, strengthen physical and cyber security, and remain vigilant for suspicious activity, including people or vehicles on or in the vicinity of healthcare facilities. The joint alert was issued by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Health-ISAC) after a social media post was observed related to the active planning of a coordinated, multi-city terrorist attack on hospitals in the coming weeks.
No information is currently available to corroborate or discount the credibility of the threat, so the warning was issued out of an abundance of caution. The AHA and Health-ISAC are working with the FBI to obtain further information to share with healthcare organizations. According to a social media post on the X account of American Kinetix, a global operational services support firm, there is a “highly credible” and “imminent ISIS-K threat to U.S. hospitals.” ISIS-K, or Islamic State Khorasan Province, is a regional branch of the jihadist group Islamic State, which is active in South Central Asia.
Specifically, the post warns of Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) followed by armed assaults and hostage scenarios, most likely to be conducted across multiple mid-tier U.S. cities. The quoted intelligence source is chatter from ISIS-K training camps in Afghanistan. The post warns that “intelligence suggests these attacks must occur before Al-Q’aida’s planned aviation/D.C, likely making hospitals a prelude to a larger-scale operation”. Hospitals are viewed as soft targets as they are critical infrastructure with low security and high foot traffic, with a potential for high numbers of casualties. An upcoming terrorist attack would not generally be publicized, but the threat should be taken seriously. Even if the threat turns out to be a hoax, AHA and Health-ISAC warn that the post may encourage others to engage in malicious activity against the health sector.
In addition to reviewing security and emergency management plans and heightening staff awareness of the threat, the AHA and Health-ISAC recommend increasing relationships with local and federal law enforcement to streamline response efforts in the event of an attack. American Kinetix warns that there is likely to be pre-attack reconnaissance to identify potential targets. Having a publicly visible security presence could help mitigate the risk of being a potential target.
