Homeland Security warns of weaponized drones as terror threat
The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning Americans about the potential threat of terrorists using weaponized drones as possible means to attack commercial aircrafts in America. The updated bulletin also included warnings of chemical attacks.
The bulletin was recently been updated following growing concerns about terrorists targeting the airline sector, a senior official at DHS told ABC.
"... terrorists continue to target commercial aviation and air cargo, including with concealed explosives," the bulletin says.
The National Terrorism Advisory System replaces the old color coded system indicating the level of threat facing Americans. Bulletin is the lowest, elevated alert is mid-level and the highest imminent alert "warns of a credible, specific and impending terrorism threat against the United States," according to the bulletin.
According to the official, there has been an "uptick in terrorist interest" in using unmanned aerial systems as weapons in the U.S. and other western countries, ABC reported.
"We continue to face one of the most challenging threat environments since 9/11, as foreign terrorist organizations exploit the Internet to inspire, enable, or direct individuals already here in the homeland to commit terrorist acts," the bulletin reads. "Terrorist groups are urging recruits to adopt easy-to-use tools to target public places and events … Some terrorist groups overseas are using battlefield experiences to pursue new technologies and tactics, such as unmanned aerial systems and chemical agents that could be used outside the conflict zones."
The official told ABC DHS wants to prevent the tactics terrorists use on the battlefield from coming to America and be "forward leaning" about what terrorists are doing overseas and what tactics they may adopt.
New security measures are being implemented across the country by DHS for airports and airlines that fly directly to the United States. Additionally, the administration announced in June new "enhanced screening" of passengers and their electronic devices. "Seen and unseen" security inside the airport and around aircrafts has also been increased, ABC reported.
These enhanced security measures are designed to detect concealed weapons, insider threats and suspicious passengers. However, recent undercover tests by DHS found the Transportation Security Administration failed to detect knives, guns and mock explosives more than half the time.
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