Supplemental Info:

On December 19, 2016, a heavily-loaded truck was hijacked and deliberately driven into the crowded Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, Germany, leaving 12 people dead and 56 others injured. One of the victims was the truck's original driver who was found shot in the head in the passenger seat.

The perpetrator of the attack was Anis Amri, an unsuccessful asylum seeker from Tunisia. Four days after the Berlin attack, he was killed in a shootout with police near Milan, Italy.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack and released a video of the perpetrator pledging allegiance to the terror group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Consider the threat environment:

• The Muslim world is increasingly enraged at events unfolding in Gaza.

• Both the Islamic State and al Qaeda have called on followers to carry out attacks in the West, particularly in those nations supporting Israel.

• DHS, FBI, and NCTC have repeatedly warned of a heightened threat from foreign terrorist organizations and domestic extremists.

Guidance:

• Use extra vigilance in public venues.

• Keep the earbuds in your pocket.

• Identify formal exits and other points of egress.

• Have your head on a swivel scanning your surroundings.

• Change location if you sense agitation in a crowd.