Bombers were under IS direction, says AFP
THE men accused of crafting a bomb plot to bring down a plane were receiving direction from a senior member of Islamic State in Syria, Australian Federal Police revealed.
Police described plans to bring down an Etihad flight with an improvised explosive device and to use another device that dispersed toxic gas in a separate attack, as “one of the most sophisticated plots ever detected in Australia”.
The new details were revealed yesterday before two men facing terror charges over the alleged planned attacks were refused bail at Parramatta Local Court.
AFP Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan said the alleged terrorists had planned two attacks.
For the first planned attack, the men smuggled military-grade explosives into Australia, police said.
Elements of an improvised explosive device were sent by IS operatives in a single package through international air cargo to the accused men.
Police said the men used instructions from the “ISIL commander” to build the IED.
Mr Phelan said the device was planned to be detonated on an Etihad flight out of Sydney on July 15, but the plan was aborted.
Police confirmed the plot ringleader allegedly sent his brother to check in the bomb and board the flight, without the brother knowing.
“We will be alleging the person who was to carry the IED had no idea they were carrying an IED,” Mr Phelan told a media conference.
Mr Phelan said the man who was to be carrying the bag containing the IED boarded the flight and remained overseas, but the bag with the “fully functioning” device was never checked in.
“There is a little bit of conjecture as to why it didn’t go ahead on the 15th. We certainly would be
alleging that it didn’t get past the check-in,” he said.
Police said a second attack was then planned using an improvised chemical device designed to release “a highly toxic hydrogen sulphide”.
The device was “fairly well advanced”, but not enough to be fully initiated.
He said joint counter terror officers “completely disrupted” both plots and there was “absolutely no ongoing threat”.
Khaled Mahmoud Khayat, 49, and Mahmoud Khayat, 32, were formally refused bail at Parramatta Local Court yesterday.
❝ The person who was to carry the IED had no idea they were carrying an IED — AFP Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan