US spy agencies warned on Wednesday of an ongoing threat that racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, will carry out mass-casualty attacks on civilians while militia groups target police and government personnel and buildings.

Members of the Ohio National Guard arrive to provide security as demonstrations and protests are expected to take place at the Ohio Statehouse as President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office in the wake of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Wednesday, January 20th, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, the US. Photo: VCG

Agencies contributing to the assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence included the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center. 

The assessment said extremists who promote white racial superiority have potentially frequent communications with extremists abroad who hold similar ideological beliefs and each seeks to influence the other.

The agencies said that recent political and social developments - such as claims by Republican former president Donald Trump and his supporters about fraud in November 2020's US presidential election, restrictions related to COVID-19, fallout from the January 6 US Capitol riot, and conspiracy theories - "will almost certainly spur" some domestic extremists "to try to engage in violence this year." Other domestic extremist categories which concern government investigators include animal rights and environmental activists, anti-abortion protesters and anarchists.