An editorial published in Al Naba, ISIS’s official media outlet, frames the holiday period as a “season of terror.” The message explicitly calls for revenge against the enemies of Allah, naming Jews and Christians, and encourages attacks in crowded public spaces in the United States, Europe, and Israel.
At the same time, multiple pro-ISIS media channels have circulated visuals on social media promoting so-called “lone wolf” violence ahead of Christmas. These materials rely on coded language such as “Angry Lions” and festive imagery to encourage self-activated attacks while deliberately avoiding direct operational guidance.
A second ISIS-linked poster released the same day again exploits Christmas symbolism and uses “predator” coded language to reinforce lone-actor messaging.
The repetition and timing of these releases underscore ISIS’s intent to prime opportunistic attacks targeting holiday crowds.
