Two men charged with plotting terror attack in Sydney

Australia has charged two men with plotting a terror attack in Sydney in cooperation with the ISIL terrorist group operating in Syria and Iraq.

The charges came after the suspects, Omar al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were detained during a Tuesday police raid on a house in the suburb of Fairfield in west Sydney after a tip-off.

Police said on Wednesday that they defused an “imminent” terror attack.

Security forces also confiscated an ISIL flag, a machete and an Arabic-language video detailing the alleged plot.

“A number of items were located, including a machete, a hunting knife, a home-made flag representing the proscribed terrorist organization ISIS (ISIL), and also a video which depicted a man talking about carrying out an attack,” New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn told reporters.

Burn added that the planned attack was “consistent with the messaging coming out of ISIS (ISIL).”

He said officials were not sure if the plot involved a beheading, but the planned attack had been due to happen Tuesday in Sydney and would likely involve a knife.

The suspects, who were refused bail due to security issues, will attend at a hearing on Thursday.

“We will allege that both of these men were preparing to do this act yesterday. We built up information, we received further information which indicated an attack was imminent. And we acted,” Burn said.

In December, a gunman believed to represent the ISIL terrorist group took 18 people hostage in a 16-hour siege at a Sydney cafe. Two hostages died during the standoff, with the gunman shot dead by police.

Takfiri threat

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has warned that the Australians who joined Takfiri militants in Iraq and Syria would pose a security threat to the country once they returned.

Canberra says nearly 100 Australians were believed to be caught up in the conflict in Iraq and Syria, compared to 70 last year. Canberra also believes that the Australians fighting alongside ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria are backed by at least 100 facilitators inside Australia.

The ISIL terrorists, who have taken control of several parts of Syria and Iraq, have been committing heinous crimes in the captured areas, including mass executions of civilians and security forces.

Besides Australia, fears have recently grown in several other countries as well that those Western militants trained and hardened in Syria and Iraq may carry out terrorist attacks once they return to their homelands.

DB/HJL/HMV

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk