U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials are expressing concern over two unrelated terror attacks in Europe last weekend and their implications for the threat environment in the U.S., according to a New York Police Department briefing obtained by ABC News.

“There is no initial indication that the two attacks are linked,” the NYPD briefing stated. “However, both incidents underscore the current complex and elevated terrorism/targeted violence threat environment as well as the persistent challenge of low-tech tactics being used against vulnerable targets, including public gatherings and houses of worship.”

The attacks referenced in the report include a fatal stabbing in Germany and an arson attack on a synagogue in France.

In Germany, a lone attacker armed with a knife targeted civilians at a music festival last Friday, killing three people and injuring eight others. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was “to avenge Palestine,” though the extent of the perpetrator’s direct connection to the terror group remains unclear. A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the incident.

A day later, an arsonist in France set fire to two vehicles near a shul, one of which contained a gas bottle, leading to an explosion. The attacker then attempted to target the shul itself. A police officer was injured in the ensuing confrontation, and a suspect was arrested following a firefight with law enforcement.

“While there are no early indications that these two attacks — which occurred in different countries, focused on separate targets, and leveraged distinct low-tech tactics — are related, they nevertheless underscore the complex and dynamic threat landscape,” the NYPD briefing noted. It added that the threat is “exacerbated by tense global flashpoints, including the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.”

The NYPD expressed concern that these attacks may inspire copycat acts of terrorism in the U.S., noting that they could serve as “tactical/targeting inspiration for follow-on acts of terrorism and targeted violence.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)