US intelligence has alerted joint terrorism task forces that al Qaeda could be planning attacks in three states for Monday; the day before the election.

It is believed New York, Texas and Virginia are all possible targets, though no specific locations are mentioned, sources told CBS news senior investigative producer Pat Milton.

US authorities are taking the threat seriously, though the sources stress the intelligence is still being assessed and its credibility hasn’t been confirmed. Counterterrorism officials were alerted to the threat out of abundance of caution.

"While we do not comment on intelligence matters, we will say the counterterrorism and homeland security communities remain vigilant and well-postured to defend against attacks here in the United States," a US intelligence official told CBS News.

"The FBI and DHS, working with our federal, state and local counterparts, share and assess intelligence on a daily basis and will continue to work closely with law enforcement and intelligence community partners to identify and disrupt any potential threat to public safety," he added.

"As we have long said, in this environment, homegrown violent extremists could strike with little or no notice. Our concern that violent extremists could be inspired to conduct attacks inside the US have not diminished," he said.

Intelligence about potential threats always increases during holiday seasons and when big events are approaching.

As Election Day nears, federal law enforcement is planning for several worst-case scenarios.

Source: MENA