Several U.S. military bases in Europe are on heightened alert in preparation for terrorist attacks against U.S. personnel or facilities, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.
The bases include the U.S. Army Garrison in Stuttgart, Germany, home to U.S. European Command, which raised its alert level to “Charlie” force protection status on Sunday. Two US officials told CNN..
According to the Army, this level will be raised “if an incident occurs or if information is received indicating any form of terrorist act or possible attack on personnel or facilities.”
Asked for comment, US European Command (USEUCOM) said it was “constantly assessing a variety of factors” related to the security of US forces overseas.
“As part of that effort, additional measures are often taken to ensure the safety of service members,” USEUCOM said, adding that it would not discuss specific measures for “operational security reasons.”
“As always, USEUCOM advises European Theater personnel to remain vigilant and alert by reporting suspicious activity, monitoring State Department travel advisories, and taking prudent personal risk mitigation measures,” it added.
A US official based at a European base told CNN they hadn’t seen that level of threat “for at least a decade,” adding that it often meant troops received a “real, credible threat.”
Independent military publication “Stars and Stripes” First reported The German Defense Ministry said similar alerts had been issued for other German bases, including the army’s Rheinland-Pfalz base and Ramstein air base, as well as Baumholder and nearby bases in Romania and Bulgaria.
According to Stars and Stripes, the situation at Aviano Air Base in Italy has been elevated to Level Charley, and security measures have been stepped up at other Italian bases.
ABC News Also reported Citing two U.S. officials, the report noted the changing terrorist threat.
The nature of the intelligence that reportedly triggered the increased security was not immediately clear.
