The United States said Tuesday it was stepping up security at government buildings in Washington and other major cities in response to “calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere.”
“The reasons for this action are self-evident: the continued public calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere, including against law enforcement and other government officials, and the acts of violence targeted at government personnel and installations in Canada and elsewhere recently,” Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said in a statement.
“Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of U.S. government installations and our personnel,” Johnson added.
The U.S. measure came following two attacks last week in Canada that killed two soldiers. Both of the attacks came as Canada deployed fighter jets to join U.S.-led air strikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in Iraq.
Police say both assailants were converts to Islam with alleged extremists views.
Canada is a member of the alliance Washington has forged of Western and Arab nations to combat ISIS, which seized large parts of Syria and Iraq in recent months, declaring an Islamic “caliphate” and committing widespread atrocities.
The group has called for foreign fighters to join them and promoted attacks by disaffected Muslims on Western targets.
“Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of U.S. government installations and our personnel,” Johnson said.
