SYDNEY: Australian police conducted anti-terror raids involving over 400 officers, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals deemed to pose an “unacceptable risk and threat” to public safety.
These individuals were connected to a 16-year-old accused of stabbing an Assyrian Bishop in Sydney and were found to adhere to a “religiously motivated extremist ideology”.
Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Hudson expressed concerns that the group could be planning an attack, citing their behavior under surveillance as indicative of potential harm. Although no specific target was identified, Hudson emphasized the likelihood of an imminent threat based on investigative findings.
All offenders apprehended during the operation were juveniles. The incident involving the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel prompted swift action from authorities, characterizing the teen’s actions as a “terrorist” act. Following this designation, a joint counter-terrorism task force, comprising state and federal police along with the intelligence service ASIO, initiated a thorough investigation.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, known for his significant online following and outspoken views on Covid-19 vaccines, lockdowns, sustained injuries to the head and chest in the attack. The incident ignited a riot among followers of the Assyrian Christian church in western Sydney, reflecting the sensitivity and gravity of the situation within Sydney’s Christian Assyrian community, many of whom have fled from Iraq and Syria due to persecution and conflict.
