World War III fears mount as US military bases in Europe on alert for possible terror attack on personnel

Several US military bases in Europe were put on high alert over the weekend amid fears of a potential terrorist strike against American facilities or personnel on the continent, after warnings of an "extremely serious" terror threat in New York City .

Among sites on warning for a potential terror attack is the US European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, where the US Army Garrison ramped up its Force Protection Condition (FPCON) to "Charlie," as confirmed by US officials.

"Charlie" represents the second-highest level of alert out of the five FPCON threat levels. This heightened state, known as "Charlie," is activated when "an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely," as per the US Army's guidelines.

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Other US military bases in Germany, such as the US Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz and Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, also issued similar warnings.

These bases are part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community, which is the largest US community outside the States, as stated by Ramstein Air Base.

Due to the increased security measures, those entering the bases can expect significant delays at checkpoints, the alert advised.

A military spokesperson relayed to CNN that the United States European Command continually evaluates various factors concerning the protection of the US military community overseas.

"As part of that effort, we often times take additional steps to ensure the safety of our service members."

The US European Command has heightened security measures in place, however, they've refrained from giving any specifics about these measures due to security reasons. They've also remained tight-lipped about what kind of intelligence has sparked this increased security.

Interestingly, this move comes at a time when repeated warnings about potential terror threats in Europe have been issued. Unfortunately, these warnings seem especially relevant now, as Europe is in the middle of hosting major international sporting events, such as the UEFA European football championship currently taking place in Germany and the forthcoming 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in July.

Germany's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, had previously expressed her concerns about possible threats in relation to these events. She stated openly that "we are preparing ourselves for all conceivable dangers: from Islamist terror to violent criminals and hooligans."

A group of 580 officers from all 24 European countries participating in the tournament have even been called upon by the German government to collaborate with their respective police forces on advising how best to bolster event security.

Meanwhile, France isn't taking any chances either, preparing for potential terror threats in connection with the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, set to kick off on 26th July.

The US embassy in France had previously issued a stark warning following the devastating ISIS-K terror attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22, which tragically claimed over 130 lives and left hundreds more wounded.

In response to the heightened threat level, the embassy escalated its national security alert system to the maximum, advising both residents and visitors to remain alert, particularly in public spaces such as airports, public transport systems, major shopping centres, and places of worship.

"French authorities actively monitor terrorist threats from organized groups and radicalized individuals," stated the embassy's alert.

It cautioned that "attacks may happen with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, major sporting and cultural events, and other public areas that attract large numbers of civilians."

This development in the security situation was initially brought to light by Stars and Stripes, an independent military news outlet.