Senior US officials said the threat originated overseas but was uncorroborated and came from a single source

It mentioned New York City, the nation's capital and the site of Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, California

President Obama was briefed on the threat before departing for Hawaii on family vacation

After Paris attacks in November, ISIS propaganda video showed images of Times Square

In New York, 6,000 officers will be on hand for tomorrow's celebration at Times Square, including 560 members of a new counter-terrorism unit

Federal and local law enforcement officials are ramping up security in New York City, Washington DC and the site of the Rose Bowl parade near Los Angeles for New Year's Eve festivities in response to a new terrorist threat.

Senior officials familiar with the matter said that before President Barack Obama departed for Hawaii on a family vacation, he was briefed on a threat originating abroad that warned of possible attacks targeting the three major US cities.

According to the unnamed officials talking to CNN, the threat in question was based on a single source and was not corroborated.

On alert: The annual New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square in New York City has been mentioned as a target of a possible terrorist attack