MELBOURNE: Police in Australia have arrested five teenagers who were inspired by terror group ‘Islamic State’ and planning a major terror attack in Melbourne. The city is commemorating a key ANZAC centenary next week.
Police say the teenagers were inspired by the hardline, self-declared “Islamic State” (IS) fighters and had planned a major terror attack during the events next week in Melbourne. They are marking the centenary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landings at Gallipoli during World War 1.
“This particular matter was ISIS inspired,” a senior police spokesman told a news conference.
The arrests were made during an operation in suburban Melbourne carried out early in the morning by Victoria state police and Australian Federal Police. There were further searches in the southeast of the city, a joint statement from the two forces said.
All five of those arrested were from the suburbs in the city’s far southeast. Two 18-year-olds were arrested for alleged terrorism-related offenses. A third 18-year-old was arrested for weapons offenses and two others aged 18 and 19 were being held in custody and helping police with their inquiries.
“It is alleged the men were undertaking preparations for planning a terrorist act in Australia, which included targeting police officers,” the statement said.
Australia has recently sent hundreds of soldiers to Iraq to help train forces fighting IS. The government had raised its security threat level to ‘high’ last September and carried out a series of counter-terrorism raids. Of 110 Australians who have left to fight in Iraq and Syria to fight with IS, more than 30 have returned to Australia.
Concern about radicalization was heightened following the seige last December at a Sydney cafe by a man trying to link his action to IS.
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