Islamist Group Warns of New Cyber Attacks on US Banks

DUBAI – An Islamist group on Tuesday said it will carry out new cyber attacks on US banking targets, according to SITE Intelligence Group, following similar attacks last week in response to an anti-Islam film.

In a statement a group of hackers calling themselves the “Cyber Fighters of Izz al-Din al-Qassam” said they planned to attack the website of Wells Fargo bank on Tuesday, that of US Bank on Wednesday and the PNC Bank on Thursday, SITE said.

Last week the websites of US banks Chase (a JPMorgan Chase affiliate) and Bank of America suffered a suspected cyber attack following threats against them by the same group.

“Operation Ababil began with Bank of America. The second stage was the attack on the biggest bank of the United States, Chase. This series of attacks will continue until this heinous film disappears from the internet,” said a message signed by the group and posted to the Pastebin.com website.

In the latest statement the group claimed the attacks were in retaliation for the release of the controversial movie “Innocence of Muslims,” which has led to massive protests across the Muslim world.

The statement warned that “the operation might eventually target Israeli, French, and British financial institutions” as well, according to SITE.