Etihad works with Aussie police to investigate aircraft attack plan

dubai — EtIHAD AIrwAys Is CoopErAtInG wItH AustrAlIA’s FEDErAl PolICE As tHEy InvEstIGAtE A FoIlED plot to BrInG Down An AIrCrAFt, tHE AIrlInE sAID In A stAtEmEnt on TuEsDAy.

OvEr tHE wEEkEnD, Four mEn wErE tAkEn Into CustoDy By tHE polICE In A sErIEs oF rAIDs In tHE suBurBs oF SyDnEy. THE mEn ArE CurrEntly BEInG HElD wItHout Any CrImInAl CHArGEs unDEr tHE AustrAlIAn GovErnmEnt’s tErrorrElAtED powErs.

“THE EtIHAD AIrwAys AvIAtIon sECurIty (AVSEC) tEAm Is AssIstInG tHE AustrAlIAn FEDErAl PolICE wItH Its InvEstIGAtIon AnD tHE mAttEr Is onGoInG,” An EtIHAD spokEspErson sAID In A stAtEmEnt to Khaleej Times. “EtIHAD Is ComplyInG Fully wItH tHE EnHAnCED sECurIty mEAsurEs At AIrports In AustrAlIA AnD monItorInG tHE sItuAtIon ClosEly. SAFEty Is tHE AIrlInE’s numBEr onE prIorIty.”

AustrAlIAn polICE, HowEvEr, HAvE not nAmED tHE AIrlInE tHAt wAs AllEGEDly tArGEtED In tHE plot — wHICH AutHorItIEs sAy wAs InspIrED By rElIGIous ExtrEmIsm — nor HAvE tHEy IDEntIfiED tHE mAnnEr In wHICH tHE AttACkErs plAnnED to BrInG Down tHE AIrCrAFt AsIDE From notInG It InvolvED An “ImprovIsED DEvICE”.

REutErs quotED unnAmED AmErICAn offiCIAls As sAyInG tHAt A ForEIGn IntEllIGEnCE AGEnCy IntErCEptED CommunICAtIons BEtwEEn tHE SyDnEy-BAsED plottErs AnD DAEsH mIlItAnts In SyrIA. AnotHEr offiCIAl notED tHAt tHE plAn wAs “FAIrly wEll AlonG” By tHE tImE tHE AustrAlIAn polICE rAIDs took plACE.

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