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WASHINGTON, June 13-- The U.S. is bracing for the next terror attack, as terror group Islamic State (IS) says it will ramp up attacks worldwide during the Muslim Ramadan holidays. The terror group announced earlier this week that it was calling for more attacks around the world during the Ramadan season from May 26 to June 24 this year -- the most important holiday for Muslim nations worldwide. The threat comes after the group has launched numerous attacks in recent years on targets worldwide. Those include the 2017 Paris attack that left 130 people dead, as well as attacks in Belgium, Indonesia and elsewhere. The threat also comes on the one-year anniversary of the terror attacks in Orlando in the U.S. state of Florida. One year ago on Monday, a gunman who had pledged allegiance to IS opened fire on a packed gay nightclub, killing 49 people and leaving dozens more wounded. "The end of Ramadan frequently has been targeted by Muslim extremist groups from al-Qaeda to IS for years, so attempted attacks are likely from the Islamic world through Europe to the U.S.," Wayne White, former deputy director of the State Department's Middle East Intelligence Office, told Xinhua. White noted that U.S. federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies are ramping up intelligence collection, raising levels of alerts, and physical security. "Most importantly, however, various state and local law enforcement authorities must follow Washington's lead by increasing information gathering, shadowing potential suspects, and upping their physical presence on the street," White said. | 
