- Four US military bases across Europe had their alert level raised
- They were raised to ‘Charlie’, the second-highest level
- This means a terror attack or an attack against personnel is ‘likely’
The US military has raised the alert level of several of its bases across Europe to the second-highest level in a move that hasn’t been seen ‘in at least ten years.’
The US Army Garrison in Stuttgart, Germany, America’s military headquarters in Europe, bases in Rheinland-Pfalz and Ramstein, and Aviano Air Base in Italy were all put on alert level ‘Charlie’ over the weekend, several publications reported.
The ‘Charlie’ threat level only ‘applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely,’ according to the US Army.
It is not currently known why the four bases, which together make up the largest overseas US military community, raised their threat levels.
But a US official told CNN that they haven’t seen a threat level this high ‘in at least 10 years’, adding that this usually means the military is aware of an ‘active-reliable threat.’
In addition to the formally raised alert level, Spangdahlem Air Base in west Germany told airmen from its 52nd Fighter unit that they were prohibited from wearing their uniforms off-base, and must commute in civilian clothing, military publication Stars and Stripes reported.
The continent has been on high alert for terrorism for months.
In March, French president Emmanuel Macron pushed his nation’s terror alert level to its highest, after revealing that the ISIS offshoot that killed hundreds in Moscow tried to carry out ‘several’ attacks in France.
France’s security alert system, Vigipirate, was pushed to its highest level months ago, where it remains to this day, after Macron held an emergency meeting to discuss the already tense security situation in the country, as it prepares to host the 2024 Olympic Games.
He revealed that ISIS-K, the ultra-brutal ISIS offshoot that Western intelligence believes carried out the attack in Moscow, has ‘attempted several times to hit France.’
The UK’s current terror threat level is ‘substantial’, the third-highest level out of five.
According to MI5, this means an ‘attack is likely’. In October, British intelligence chiefs considered pushing it up one level to ‘severe’, following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.