The U.S. Army Special Operations Command issued a warning on Thursday to retired senior military personnel who served in Iraq or Syria, indicating they may be the target of a potential terrorist threat.
The alert, which was directed at individuals residing in Florida, did not specify the nature of the threat, the terrorist group involved, or the source of the information. However, officials deemed the threat credible enough to warrant the warning, according to Colonel Allie Scott, a spokeswoman for the command.
Colonel Scott noted that such warnings, referred to as “duty to warn notifications,” are not unusual and are issued when military authorities receive relevant information regarding threats against service members. Specific details about the threat were not disclosed.
U.S. Army Special Operations forces have conducted operations against Al Qaeda and Islamic State insurgents in Iraq and Syria for many years. Military officials have typically refrained from identifying commandos involved in these operations due to concerns about potential retaliation against service members or their families, including within the United States.
The overall Special Operations Command is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, where many special operations forces and other military personnel reside in retirement.
The alert, a copy of which was obtained by media sources, stated that the threat does not target active-duty special operations personnel but advised them to “remain alert to their surroundings, both on and off post, and to report any suspicious activity to appropriate authorities.”
The warning, signed by the command’s provost marshal, Colonel Mark A. Katz, urged active-duty service members to inform any retired special forces living in Florida and to advise them to “remain vigilant.”