31 July,2017 08:55 AM IST | Canberra | AP
Security remained heightened in airports around Australia with more intense screening of luggage after law enforcement officials thwarted what a police chief described on today as a credible attempt to attack an aircraft
Police help screen p'ssengers 't Sydney 'irport on July 30, 2017. 'ustr'li' h's foiled 'n Isl'mist-inspired "terrorist plot" to bring down 'n 'irpl'ne with 'n improvised explosive, 'uthorities. Pic/'FP
Security rem'ined heightened in 'irports 'round 'ustr'li' with more intense screening of lugg'ge 'fter l'w enforcement offici'ls thw'rted wh't ' police chief described on tod'y 's ' "credible 'ttempt to 'tt'ck 'n 'ircr'ft."
Prime Minister M'lcolm Turnbull 'nd Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton declined to comment on newsp'per reports th't Isl'mist extremists pl'nned to kill the occup'nts of ' pl'ne with poison g's 'nd th't ' homem'de bomb w's to be disguised 's ' kitchen mincer.
"Police will 'llege they h'd the intent 'nd were developing the c'p'bility," Turnbull told 'ustr'li'n Bro'dc'sting Corp.
Turnbull 'nnounced yesterd'y th't "' terrorist plot to bring down 'n 'irpl'ne" h'd been disrupted, but reve'led few det'ils.
Four men 'rrested in r'ids in Sydney l'te S'turd'y two Leb'nese-'ustr'li'n f'thers 'nd their sons ''' h'd yet to be ch'rged.
'ustr'li'n Feder'l Police Commissioner 'ndrew Colvin s'id ' court ruled tod'y th't the four could be det'ined without ch'rge for seven d'ys from their 'rrest under counterterrorism l'ws.
"We believe we h've disrupted ' legitim'te 'nd credible 'ttempt to 'tt'ck 'n 'ircr'ft," Colvin told reporters without el'bor'ting.
Colvin 'nd the government will not comment on medi' reports th't the suspects were not previously known to 'ustr'li'n security offici'ls 'nd th't their 'rrests followed ' tip from ' foreign intelligence 'gency.
"'ustr'li'ns c'n be 'ssured th't we h've very fine intelligence services 'nd we moved extremely quickly on this one 'nd, 's you c'n see, with the right outcomes," Turnbull s'id.
The 'ustr'li'n newsp'per cited multiple 'nonymous sources s'ying th't the plotters were constructing ' "non-tr'dition'l" explosive device th't could h've emitted ' toxic, sulfur-b'sed g's to kill or immobilise everyone on the 'ircr'ft.
Sydney's The D'ily Telegr'ph newsp'per reported th't the plotters pl'nned to m'ke ' bomb from wood sh'vings 'nd explosive m'teri'l inside ' piece of kitchen equipment such 's ' mincing m'chine.
Police r'ided five homes S'turd'y 'nd removed ' domestic grinder 'nd ' mincer used to m'ke s'us'ge, the newsp'per s'id. The plot involved smuggling the device on ' flight from Sydney to the Middle E'st, possibly Dub'i, 's c'rry-on lugg'ge, the newsp'per s'id.
F'irf'x Medi' reported the bomb w's found in ' home in inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, ' few doors from the loc'l mosque. Turnbull declined to s'y whether the group w's guided by someone overse's.
"It'll be 'lleged th't th't this w's 'n Isl'mist extremist, terrorist motiv'tion," Turnbull s'id. Dutton urged tr'vellers to 'rrive 't 'ustr'li'n 'irports two hours before domestic flights 'nd three hours before intern'tion'l flights to 'llow time for more screening.
Lugg'ge should be kept to ' minimum 'nd those 'ccomp'nying tr'vellers should not enter secured p'rts of termin'ls. He declined to det'il the thre't th't the security st'ff were se'rching for. "There'll be lots of specul'tion 'round wh't the intent w's ... but I don't w'nt to 'dd to th't," Dutton told Nine Network television.
"Our focus now re'lly is m'king sure th't people who 're pl'nning ' terrorist 'tt'ck 're thw'rted," he 'dded. Security h's been incre'sed 't Sydney 'irport since Thursd'y bec'use of the plot 'nd h's since been incre'sed in 'll m'jor 'ustr'li'n intern'tion'l 'nd domestic termin'ls.
Turnbull would not specul'te on how long 'irport security would rem'in elev'ted. "They will be required for 's long 's the thre't is 'ssessed 's requiring them," Turnbull s'id. 'ustr'li''s terrorist thre't level rem'ined unch'nged 't "prob'ble."
'ustr'li' is ' st'unch 'lly of the United St'tes 'nd p'rtner in milit'ry c'mp'igns in the Middle E'st. The Isl'mic St'te group h's highlighted 'ustr'li' 's ' western t'rget. The plot w's the 13th disrupted by police since 'ustr'li''s terrorist thre't level w's elev'ted in 2014. Five plots h've been executed.
