IS behind Australia plane plot, say police

TWO men tried to smuggle an improvised explosive device on to a plane at an Australian airport last month in a plot directed by Islamic State, police have said.

The men, who are now facing terrorism charges, targeted an Etihad Airways flight out of Sydney airport, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan told reporters.

One of the men, a 49-year-old from Sydney, brought the device to the airport on July 15 in a piece of luggage that he had asked his brother to take with him on the flight – but he had not told his brother the bag contained explosives.

But for reasons still unclear, the bag never got past the check-in counter. Instead, Mr Phelan said, the 49-year-old man left the airport with the bag, and his brother continued on to the flight without it.

“This is one of the most sophisticated plots that has ever been attempted on Australian soil,” Mr Phelan said.

“If it hadn’t been for the great work of our intelligence agencies and law enforcement over a very quick period of time, then we could well have a catastrophic event in this country.”

The details he provided on Friday are the first that officials have released since four men were arrested in a series of raids in Sydney last weekend.

Khaled Khayat, 49, and Mahmoud Khayat, 32, have been charged with two counts of planning a terrorist act. A third man remains in custody, while a fourth was released without charge. Khaled Khayat’s brother has not been charged because police believe he had no idea the bag contained explosives.

Lawyer Michael Coroneos appeared on behalf of Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat at a brief court hearing on Friday. They were refused bail and the case was adjourned until November 14. Police have not detailed the men’s relationship.

If convicted, they could face a sentence of life in prison.

The components for the device, including what Mr Phelan described as a “militarygrade explosive,” were sent by a senior IS member to the men in Sydney via Turkey. An IS commander then instructed the two men who have been charged on how to assemble the device, which police have recovered.

After the July 15 bid failed, the men changed tactics and were in the early stages of devising a chemical dispersion device, which they hoped could release highly toxic hydrogen sulphide, Mr Phelan said.

Police had no idea either of the plans were in the works until they received a tip-off on July 26, Mr Phelan said. They arrested the men on July 29.

The allegation that IS was able to ship explosives to Australia undetected was troubling, police admitted.