Foreign media, citing U.S. officials, reported that U.S. military bases, including those in Stuttgart, Germany, home to the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), raised the alert level to "Charlie" on Sunday. This is the highest state of readiness implemented.
The U.S. Army explained that such measures are put in place when "an incident occurs or information comes in indicating the likelihood of terrorist activity or an attack on military personnel or facilities."
According to CNN, this heightened threat level has not been seen for at least 10 years, indicating that the military has received intelligence of an "active and credible threat."
Dan Day, a spokesman for USEUCOM, declined to comment on specific protection measures. Speaking to CNN, he stated that various factors affecting the security of U.S. military personnel overseas are constantly assessed, and additional steps are taken as necessary.
While the precise reason for the heightened security measures remains unclear, European authorities have warned of a potential terrorist threat on the continent, particularly ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris in July and the ongoing European soccer championship in Germany.
(jh)
Source: IAR