Anonymous hacker group uncovers Islamic State threat against WWE event in US

FBI says it is aware of reports of an alleged threat that includes an Atlanta, Georgia venue and event

Hacker group Anonymous which declared a cyber war on Islamic State following Paris attacks said this week that the militant group plans to attack a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event in Georgia on Sunday.

“The FBI is aware of reports of an alleged threat that includes an Atlanta, Georgia venue and event. While we take all threats seriously, we do not have specific or credible information of an attack at this time,” FBI told Channel 2 news regarding the threat.

“We have, however, made the proper notifications as we continue to work closely with our law enforcement and private sector partners to keep our community safe,” the government agency added.



The possible attack is planned at Phillips Stadium in Atlanta where the WWE Survival Series will be held at 7:30pm. However, Director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said that the threat was not 'credible' and that the venue was on a list IS made of potential targets, Fox News reported.

The WWE released a statement stating the event would go ahead as planned. “WWE Survivor Series is currently scheduled as planned while we investigate the matter with federal, state and local authorities.”

Professional wrestler and Executive Vice President Triple H also took to Twitter to announce that the ‘Survivor Series’ was currently scheduled as planned and that the report was being investigated.

.@WWE Survivor Series is currently scheduled as planned while we investigate reports with authorities.

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 21, 2015

Anonymous had also said on Saturday that it had information about IS attacks worldwide. Speaking to the International Business Times, the hactivist group said that they had passed along all information to the government.

“If we share the proof [publicly], everyone will start calling it fake because screenshots can be edited and accounts can be deleted. We have purposely not shared account links publicly because they would be shut down immediately and then no one would believe the proof.”

Apart from the Atlanta Stadium, Anonymous also claimed that IS planned on attacking the Feast of Christ celebration in Rome and worldwide,  Al-Jihad, 1 Day Juz in Indonesia, Five Finger Death Punch in Milan, Italy, and University Pastoral Day in Lebanon.

Further, they inform of attacks planned just in France, including a demonstration by Collectif du droit des femmes, the Cigales Electroniques with Vocodecks, RE-Play & Rawtor at Le Bizen, and Concrete Invites Drumcode: Adam Beyer, Alan Fitzpatrick, Joel Mull at Concrete.



“The goal is to make sure the whole world, or at least the people going to these events, know that there have been threats and that there is possibility of an attack to happen. Another goal is to make sure Daesh knows that the world knows and cancels the attacks, which will disorientate them for a while,” Anonymous said.

IS militants, who use a number of encrypted apps an internet services to communicate and use social media under the radar, have hit back at Anonymous' attempts at declaring a cyber war, branding them 'idiots'.

“What they gonna hack…all they can do is hacking twitter accounts, emails, etc…,” the IS affiliate Islamic Cyber Army said.

This article originally appeared on the Daily Mail.