In a coordinated effort to safeguard the community from potential threats, Australian law enforcement officials conducted raids across Sydney on Wednesday, resulting in the apprehension of seven teenagers suspected of adhering to a violent extremist ideology. The individuals, ranging in age from 15 to 17, allegedly formed part of a network connected to a 16-year-old boy charged with the stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church on April 15th.
As of Wednesday evening, five additional teenagers remained under interrogation by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, comprised of federal and state police agencies, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and the New South Wales Crime Commission. Over 400 police officers executed 13 search warrants at various properties in southwest Sydney due to the suspects being deemed an immediate threat, according to David Hudson, Deputy Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force.
Hudson asserted that the individuals allegedly embrace a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology. He further emphasized that the group posed an unacceptable risk and threat to the people of New South Wales, necessitating the swift actions taken to ensure public safety.
Krissy Barrett, Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, clarified that investigators have not uncovered any evidence indicating specific targets or timing for a planned violent act. She also stated that the police operation was unrelated to the upcoming Anzac Day commemorations on Thursday, a national holiday honoring Australian war veterans and a potential target for extremist activity in the past.
A 16-year-old was charged on Friday with committing a terrorist act, an offense punishable by life imprisonment, in connection with the knife attack that injured an Assyrian Orthodox bishop and priest. On Wednesday, an Australian Federal Court judge extended an order prohibiting the social media platform X from displaying videos depicting the repeated stabbing of the bishop. Justice Geoffrey Kennett prolonged the ban until May 10th.
Upon the request of Australia’s eSafety Commission, the court initially granted the temporary global ban on Monday. The commission, self-described as the world’s first government agency dedicated to online safety, sought the ban to prevent the spread of harmful content related to the attack.
The alleged perpetrator allegedly uttered Arabic phrases about the Prophet Muhammad being insulted after stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Reverend Isaac Royel during an online-streamed church service.
Confirming ASIO’s involvement in Wednesday’s operation, Director-General Mike Burgess stated that Australia’s security service constantly provides intelligence to enable police intervention in situations involving immediate threats or ongoing developments.
Burgess highlighted that while child investigations peaked at 50% of ASIO’s priority counterterrorism caseload a few years ago, the number has since diminished. However, he noted a recent resurgence in the number of minors under investigation, attributing it partially to the influence of social media content. Burgess described the demographic as particularly vulnerable.
