Hackers claiming affiliation with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Saturday published personal details of 100 U.S. military personnel and urged violence against them.
The New York Daily News reported that a group called the “Islamic State Hacking Division” was behind the leak. It contains names, pictures, addresses and unit identification numbers for American service members allegedly involved in bombings against ISIS.
{mosads}“Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking they are safe,” the group urged ISIS supporters. “You crusaders that fight the Islamic State, we say to you: ‘Die in your rage!’ ”
The hackers claimed they compiled the threatening roster, titled “Target: United States Military,” from cracked military records. It was then posted to JustPaste.it, a Polish-based social networking site ISIS has used for propaganda in the past.
The New York Times said Saturday that both Defense Department and F.B.I. officials are investigating the post. One Defense spokesperson, not authorized to speak publicly, refuted the hackers’ claims that they compromised military servers.
The official said the dossier’s information could have come from public records, residential address databases and social media.
They added that some of the names had appeared in official Defense reports on air campaigns against ISIS. Others, they added, were unrelated to bombing raids against the terrorist organization.
“With the huge amount of data we have from various different servers and databases, we have decided to leak 100 addresses so that our brothers in America can deal with you,” the cyber-terrorists said.
“And now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for?” they asked would-be terrorists.
“I can’t confirm the validity of the information, but we are looking into it,” an anonymous Defense spokeswoman told The New York Daily News. “The safety of our service members is always a concern.”
The possible cybercrimes occur as ISIS claimed credit for several deadly real-world attacks last week.
Suicide bombers struck two mosques in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday. The twin blasts killed at least 120 worshippers and wounded 300 more.
Gunmen also assaulted the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, Tunisia, on Wednesday. Tunisia arrested nine people on Thursday for the attack, which killed 23.
The Obama administration on Friday downplayed a connection between ISIS and the two incidents. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said no proof existed for ISIS’s role in either tragedy yet.