Australian police said on Friday they had foiled a plot to attack prominent sites in the city of Melbourne with a series of bombs on Christmas Day that authorities described as "an imminent terrorist event" inspired by Islamic State.
Six men and a woman, all in their twenties, were arrested in dawn raids across Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, Victoria state police said in a statement.
"This is a significant disruption of what we would describe as an imminent terrorist event in Melbourne," Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin told reporters in Sydney.
"We do believe ... that we have removed this threat in its entirety," Colvin said.
Two of those arrested were released without charge but at least four of those still in custody would likely face court on Friday, a police statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters that the planned attack was an "Islamist terrorist plot" and "one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years".
The plot targeted high-profile locations in Melbourne, including Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral "possibly on Christmas Day".
Victorian police chief Graham Ashton said the latest plot was inspired by the Islamic State militant group. He said one of the suspected planners was an Egyptian-born Australian and the others were all Australian-born.
Australia, a staunch U.S. ally which sent troops to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014.
Authorities have said they have thwarted a number of plots, particularly involving radicalised teenagers, in recent years.
There have also been several "lone wolf" assaults, including a 2014 cafe siege in Sydney in which two hostages and a gunman were killed, and the killing of a police accountant.
Reuters
Fri Dec 23 2016
Malcolm Turnbull says the planned attack was an "Islamist terrorist plot" and "one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years". - Filepic
P.Pinang kerjasama dengan Persekutuan teruskan usaha tarik pelaburan semikonduktor
Kerajaan Pulau Pinang akan bekerjasama dengan Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk meneruskan usaha menarik pelaburan dalam sektor semikonduktor, termasuk segmen reka bentuk litar bersepadu (IC) di negeri itu.
Akta baharu berkuat kuasa 1 Jun
Akta Keselamatan Dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (Pindaan) 2022 akan berkuat kuasa pada 1 Jun ini sekali gus meningkatkan lagi tahap keselamatan dan kesihatan di tempat kerja di seluruh negara, kata Menteri Sumber Manusia Steven Sim.
Pelaburan baharu memberi cabaran baharu kepada Malaysia
Pelaburan baharu yang diterima Malaysia memberi cabaran baharu khususnya dalam memberi fokus dalam bidang teknologi dan juga Latihan dan Pendidikan Teknikal dan Vokasional (TVET).
AWANI Borneo [28/04/2024] – Daftar di Yayasan Sarawak | Kos ganti paip RM9 bilion | Tarikan Kitaro
Laporan berita padat dan ringkas dari Borneo bersama Assim Hassan
#AWANIBorneo 28 April 2024
- Kerajaan Sarawak tanggung kos pelajaran anak mendiang Joanna
- Kebocoran paip penyumbang utama air tidak terhasil
- Kitaro magnet tarik pengunjung RWMF 2024
#AWANInews
#AWANIBorneo 28 April 2024
- Kerajaan Sarawak tanggung kos pelajaran anak mendiang Joanna
- Kebocoran paip penyumbang utama air tidak terhasil
- Kitaro magnet tarik pengunjung RWMF 2024
#AWANInews
Kesatuan Ragbi Malaysia harap individu disyaki pecah amanah didakwa segera
Kesatuan Ragbi Malaysia (KRM) berharap individu di sebalik isu pecah amanah disyaki berlaku dalam pengendalian akaun bank badan induk itu didakwa segera.
PM adakan pertemuan dengan Presiden Rwanda
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengadakan pertemuan dua hala dengan Presiden Rwanda Paul Kagame di luar Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia (WEF) pada Ahad.
Iraq luluskan RUU anti-LGBTQ
PARLIMEN Iraq pada Sabtu meluluskan rang undang-undang (RUU) yang menjenayahkan hubungan sejenis.
Rumah terbuka Persatuan Komuniti Bugis Sabah meriah
Keunikan pakaian suku kaum Bugis dan kepelbagaian juadah menjadi tarikan utama rumah terbuka Persatuan Kaum Bugis Sabah.
Perayaan masa terbaik pupuk persaudaraan - Hajiji
Datul Seri Hajiji Noor menyifatkan perayaan yang ada di negara ini sebagai medan terbaik memupuk tali persaudaraan dalam kalangan rakyat pelbagai kaum dan agama.
Konsert jelajah terakhir Kitaro bakal tarik ramai pengunjung
Konsert jelajah Kitaro di Rainforest World Music Festival 2024 bakal jadi yang terakhir buat Kitaro yang memasuki usia 71 tahun, Februari lalu.