Sydney bombing suspects detained

AN Islamic State terrorist suspected of being behind a plot to blow up a flight from Sydney last year has been captured in Iraq, along with an Australian IS fighter with links to the country’s most notorious terror cell.

IS commander Tarek Khayat and his Australian relative, Ahmed Merhi (right), were detained in Iraq this year.

Shocking details of the IS plot to blow up a flight bound from Sydney to Dubai on July 15 last year have been exposed following Khayat’s capture, including that Australian authorities were unaware of the plot until 11 days after the flight took off.

It’s also reported the plot was only foiled by chance by an Etihad check-in officer at Sydney Airport, who weighed hand-luggage carried by Khayat’s brother, Amer Khayat.

Bombs were reportedly hidden inside a Barbie doll and a meat grinder inside the handluggage.

Amer Khayat was arrested in Lebanon last year.

The details of the plot have been exposed in court documents prepared by the Lebanese military prosecutor on the case against Tarek Khayat.

The ABC, which has obtained the documents, reports the Lebanese prosecutors allege Tarek Khayat planned the terror attack from his base in the Syrian city of Raqqa as revenge on the West for the deaths of two of his teenage sons in the Syrian war.

Prosecutors allege Tarek Khayat put two of his Sydneybased brothers, Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat, in touch with a senior IS fighter in Syria who instructed them on how to make the self-timed bombs, which were then hidden in their brother Amer’s hand-luggage.

The bombs were removed after the check-in officer weighed his bag.

But the ABC reports Australian authorities only learnt of the plot after they were tipped off by Israel’s renowned military intelligence 11 days later.

Australian police arrested Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat in Sydney on July 29, three days later.

Amer Khayat was arrested in Lebanon on August 8 and is awaiting a hearing there.

Australian officials have also told the ABC an Australian IS fighter, Ahmed Merhi, was captured in Iraq earlier this year.

Members of the Merhi family were reportedly targeted by police in July 29 raids in Sydney but none were charged.