NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- New York City (NYC) has stepped up security at key locations following the targeted killing of a top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, officials said on Friday.
During a press conference on Friday morning, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Dermot Shea said there will be "heightened vigilance in terms of uniformed officers -- many with long guns" at some sensitive and critical places, and urged New Yorkers to stay vigilant.
However, he noted there are no credible threats to the city at the moment.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference that New Yorkers may face more bag checks in the subway and at car stops on bridges and tunnels.
"We have to recognize that this creates a whole series of dangerous possibilities for our city," he said.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo also said in a statement on Friday that while New York has not received any direct threats, he is directing National Guard and state agencies to increase security and step up patrols at critical facilities "out of an abundance of caution."
Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike early Friday (Baghdad time) near Baghdad International Airport. Iran vowed "harsh retaliation" against the United States for what Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called a "heinous crime."
