The U.S. Army Special Operations Command issued a warning on Thursday to some retired senior military personnel who served in Iraq or Syria that they were the target of a possible terrorist threat.
The alert, circulated to those now living in Florida, neither specified what kind of threat or which terrorist group was involved, nor which country or entity provided the information. But officials deemed it credible enough to issue the warning, according to Col. Allie Scott, a spokeswoman for the command.
Such warnings, called “duty to warn notifications,” are not uncommon and are issued when military authorities receive pertinent information related to threats against service members, said Colonel Scott, who declined to provide details.
U.S. Army Special Operations forces have conducted strikes against Al Qaeda and Islamic State insurgents for years in Iraq and Syria. Military officials have often declined to identify commandos involved in such operations, fearing that service members or their families could be targeted for retaliation, including in the United States.
The military’s overall Special Operations Command has its headquarters in Tampa, Fla. Many special operations forces, as well as other military personnel, now live in retirement in the state.
The alert, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, said the threat did not target active-duty special operations personnel, but cautioned 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, Col. Mark A. Katz, encouraged active-duty service members to alert any retired special forces who live in Florida, and to warn them “to remain vigilant.”
Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times. He has reported on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for more than three decades.
Julian E. Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades.
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