Watch CBS News

Tweet Threatens High-Ranking Military Member

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- United States military bases are on their highest alert in four years Friday night.

While a Pentagon spokesperson stressed it was not due to a specific threat, a WCCO investigation has found a specific tweet on April 30 listing the address on a U.S. military base of a top U.S. general in charge of leading the U.S. response to ISIS.

WCCO-TV has been able to confirm that the address is on a U.S. military base, but we cannot verify that it is the actual address of the general.

The tweet came last weekend from a man known on Twitter as AbuHussainAlBritani.

WCCO-TV first mentioned the threat in a story Tuesday night as part of our ongoing coverage of communications on Twitter among online terror suspects.

They include Minneapolis fugitive Mujahid Miski, and one of the gunmen in a failed Texas attack for which ISIS claimed credit.

In the tweet, AbuHussainAlBritani lists the address of the office, adding "apparently hes leading the fight against #IS."

AbuHussainAlBritani lists the officer as "Major" in the tweet. Online records indicate the officer's title is in fact "Major General."

AbuHussainAlBritani is believed to be a former British resident called Junaid Hussain, who has been linked to the ISIS hacking of the Twitter account of the U.S. Central Command earlier this year.

WCCO-TV turned over a screen grab of the threat (above) to the FBI on Monday. We have been unable to reach the FBI Friday night for a comment.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.