In response to the non-fatal stabbing of an Assyrian bishop last week, Australian police conducted a series of anti-terror raids on Wednesday. Seven teenagers were arrested during the raids, which involved over 400 officers searching 13 locations across Sydney. According to Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Hudson, intense surveillance of a network of individuals led police to believe that an attack might ensue, prompting the decision to take immediate action. The network, Hudson said, posed an “unacceptable risk” to the public. While police acknowledge that an attack was a possibility, they have yet to uncover evidence of specific locations, times, or targets. Counter-terror specialist Krissy Barrett stated that the network shared a “similar violent extremist ideology.” The offenders, all juveniles aged 15 to 17, were part of a “wider network of associates and peers,” according to police. The incident has heightened tensions in Western Sydney, particularly within the local Christian Assyrian community, many of whom fled persecution and war in Iraq and Syria. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was live-streaming a sermon at the time of the attack, has a substantial online following and has been vocal in his criticism of Covid-19 vaccines, lockdowns, and Islam. The area where the attack occurred is a hub for Sydney’s small Christian Assyrian community. The attack has sparked concerns about possible reprisals within the community.
Australian Police Arrest Seven Teenagers in Anti-Terror Raids
dev
