Police foil Christmas Day ‘act of evil’ terror attack
THE plot for a “substantial” and unprecedented Christmas Day terrorist attack on three major Melbourne landmarks, including a church, involved explosives and weapons.
Heavily armed police in riot gear raided properties across Melbourne’s north yesterday and arrested seven people, with five accused set to face court late yesterday.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton alleges the arrested men planned “a substantial attack” on Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.
They were “selfradicalised” and inspired by Islamic State and the extremist terror group’s propaganda.
“Certainly (there was) potential for quite a number of people to be injured or killed in this attack,” Mr Ashton said.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the plot concerned him “more than any other event that I’ve seen”.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the plot and said Australians should not be cowed.
“We congregate in public places for Christmas, for New Year’s Eve. It is a time of happiness and joy. These terrorists sought to disrupt it. They have been thwarted,” he said.
Five people in their
20s were set to face court yesterday. Four are Australian-born men of Lebanese ethnicity, while the fifth is an Egyptian-born Australian citizen.
Police found evidence of an explosive device in the raids at Flemington, Dallas, Gladstone Park, Meadow Heights and Campbellfield.
Mr Ashton said the plan was for “a multi-mode attack”, including an explosion and assaults with weapons.
“We gathered the makings of an improvised explosive device,” he said.
“A substantial number of people could have been injured in the attack from what we’ve seen.”
Police haven’t said how or where the device could have been set off.
About 400 officers were involved in the raids.
Premier Daniel Andrews has promised extra police on Victoria’s streets on Christmas Day to reassure the public.
“What was being planned was not an act of faith, was not an act of religious observance, it was instead in its planning, an act of evil, a criminal act,” he said.