A North Carolina airport has been evacuated after officials received reports of a bomb threat.
Wilmington International Airport officials were notified of the threat on Thursday night, and cleared out the terminal, police said.
The airspace above the airport has also been shut down, and all flights have been grounded, WECT News reported.
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad specialists are carrying out a sweep of the airport to determine whether the threat is credible.
In a statement posted via Facebook, the airport wrote: ‘ILM was made aware of an alleged bomb threat at the airport.
‘Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure everyone’s safety, the terminal has been evacuated.
‘The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad is currently conducting a sweep of the area to assess the credibility of the threat. Safety remains our top priority.
‘There is no additional information at this time. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.’
A North Carolina airport has been evacuated after officials received reports of a bomb threat
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad specialists are carrying out a sweep of the airport to determine whether the threat is credible, the department said
The terminal was cleared ‘out of an abundance of caution,’ pictures of the airport were shared on social media
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office posted a social media statement regarding the evacuation.
‘ILM International has been evacuated due to a bomb threat phoned in to the facility’ they wrote on Facebook.
‘The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad is responding and once the facility has been deemed safe, operations will resume.’
It comes after Kansas City International Airport evacuated thousands of travelers on Sunday over what the FBI now says was a fake threat.
Confused and terrified passengers were seen carrying their bags onto the tarmac following reports of a ‘potential threat’ inside the airport, as flights out of the Midwest hub were grounded shortly after 11am.
In a statement to X just before 4pm on Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel said the Kansas City International Airport threat was a false alarm.
He wrote at the time: ‘The threat was reviewed and determined not to be credible. Terminal has been swept, cleared, and normal operations resumed.’
‘Threats like these are a federal crime ,’ he added. ‘FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible.’
Evacuations are often triggered by suspicious items, threats made by phone or online or intelligence alerts that authorities must verify.
The airport evacuations come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, starting with a deadly joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran.
The strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Tehran to launch relentless retaliatory missile and drone attacks on US military bases across the Gulf region.
This is a breaking news story with updates to follow.