FBI fears possible attack in US similar to Russia concert hall massacre

Chief cites concerns about terrorism as he asks lawmakers to boost funding

WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is concerned about the possibility of an organised attack in the United States similar to the one that killed scores of people at a Russian concert hall in March, the bureau's director told a House of Representatives panel on April 11.

"As I look back over my career in law enforcement, I would be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once," Mr Christopher Wray told lawmakers at a budget hearing on April 11.

"But that is the case as I sit here today." The March 22 attack on a concert hall in a Moscow suburb killed at least 144 people, the deadliest in Russia in 20 years. A branch of the ISIS militant group claimed responsibility, but Russian President Vladimir Putin, without citing evidence, has sought to blame Ukraine.

US officials have been worried about the possibility of an attack carried out by an individual or small group inspired by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.