DHS warns "heightened risk" of violence ahead of 9/11 anniversary in new terrorism bulletin

The agency created to safeguard the American public is warning of a "heightened threat environment" ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

"The 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, as well [as] religious holidays we assess could serve as a catalyst for acts of targeted violence," the Department of Homeland Security cautioned in its latest National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) bulletin. While domestic violent extremism remains a high threat to the American public, DHS said the anniversary of the attacks next month could inspire violence among foreign terrorist groups. The agency noted that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula recently released its first English-language copy of "Inspire magazine" – the terrorist group's open-sourced playbook – in over four years.