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Tacoma Repairs (on December 25)
Photo: Ken Lambert/AP
It would not be the first incident of this kind - but the timing is particularly perfidious.
After the attack on four power plants in the US state of Washington, there are growing fears that these could have been attacks by right-wing extremist groups.
The attack left around 14,000 people without power in the port city of Tacoma, south of Seattle, over the Christmas weekend.
According to Tacoma Public Utilities, which operate two of the attacked facilities, federal police warned the company of a threat to the power grid in early December.
US government officials had warned in recent months that neo-Nazis could target power plants.
Violent extremists "have been developing credible, concrete plans for attacks on the power grid since 2020 at the latest," several US media reported in January, citing confidential information from the Department of Homeland Security.
After the attacks in Tacoma, however, local police said it was unclear whether or not the attack was a coordinated effort.
However, she has knowledge of similar events in Washington and other states.
However, the incident must be investigated and no hasty conclusions should be drawn.
Incidents also in Ohio and North Carolina
In early December, North Carolina left 45,000 homes and businesses without power after two substations were damaged by a gun.
In February, three men with ties to Ohio's neo-Nazi scene confessed to plans to use guns and explosives to damage power plants at various locations.
Last year, five men were accused in North Carolina of planning attacks on power plants.
They are said to have belonged to neo-Nazi groups.
jok/AFP
