Army warns US military personnel on ISIS threat to family members

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New ISIS threat on military families in the US

Catherine Herridge reports from Washington DC

An Army intelligence bulletin is warning U.S. military personnel to be vigilant after Islamic State militants called on supporters to scour social media for addresses of their family members – and to “show up [at their homes] and slaughter them."

The assessment, obtained by Fox News, came from the Army Threat Integration Center which issues early warnings of criminal and terrorist threats to Army posts worldwide.

The advisory warns military personnel and their families about the Islamic State, or ISIS, calling on supporters to target their homes.

While there is no independent intelligence to corroborate the ISIS threats, the bulletin recommends more than a dozen precautions to military personnel to protect their homes -- and their online profiles.

"Given the continued rhetoric being issued by ISIL's media services and supporters through various social media platforms the ARTIC is concerned of the possibility of an attack," the bulletin says. "Soldiers, Government Civilians and Family Members are reminded to be vigilant of their surroundings and report suspicious activities to their respective military or local law enforcement."

One section cites a jihadist tweet calling on lone offenders to use the "yellow pages" and social media to identify the addresses of military families, and to "show up [at their homes] and slaughter them."

A military source familiar with the four-page document said the warnings are taken seriously because increasing the costs of security is a deliberate and strategic goal for Al Qaeda senior leadership – though the Islamic State has split with Al Qaeda.

The Army said in a written statement that protection levels at installations “have not changed.”

“This document is a reminder to stay vigilant,” the Army said. “It provides renewed emphasis on force protection measures to ensure the safety and security of our DOD components, defense critical infrastructure, personnel and communities.”

The warning comes amid heightened concerns about how the Islamic State and its followers are exploiting social media to expand their reach.

At a cybersecurity event on Wednesday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said the group is using social media “as a recruiting tool.”

He said some estimates show the terror network is recruiting as many as 3,400 people per month because of their social media recruiting efforts.