Seven young people have been arrested after police raided multiple properties in the wake of a recent stabbing at a western Sydney church.
More than 400 federal and NSW police officers executed 13 search warrants across south-western Sydney on Wednesday. Seven “juveniles” were arrested, with 15, 16, and 17-year-olds among them, NSW Police said on Wednesday.
The arrests come in the wake of a knife attack at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley last week. A Joint Counter Terrorism Team was established in the aftermath.
A 16-year-old, who allegedly stabbed and injured priest Isaac Royel, has since been .
“From that initial incident, a number of associates were identified that we believe warranted further police attention and investigation,” NSW Police deputy commissioner David Hudson told reporters.
“We will allege that these individuals adhered to a religiously-motivated, violent, extremist ideology.”
Five others are assisting police with their inquiries, Hudson said.
The counter-terrorism squad is made up of state and federal police, as well as officials from ASIO and the NSW Crime Commission. Source: Supplied / Australian Federal Police
Hudson said those arrested had been under “intense scrutiny and surveillance” over the past week, and their behaviour had escalated to a point this week that police were concerned an attack could occur under their noses.
No specific targets had been nominated but the ongoing threat and loose nature of the group including some splinter groups, alarmed authorities, NSW Police said.
“Overt action was required,” Hudson told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked if they knew the accused through school or online, Hudson said: “It’s a mixture.”
He said they were all from “very similar areas of the community”. Some knew each other “quite closely”, and others “quite loosely”, he said.
Police stressed they were targeting the youths based on alleged criminality, not their background.
“We target radicalisation, not religion,” Australian Federal Police (AFP) deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett said.
The counter-terrorism squad involved in Wednesday’s arrests is made up of state and federal police as well as officials from ASIO and the NSW Crime Commission.
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw, who was giving a National Press Club address when news of the raids broke, described it as a “major operation”.
“We do need to make, unfortunately, lawful interventions to prevent any further planning or attack on our community,” he said.
Several people have also been arrested and charged over riots that broke out outside the church following the stabbing.
– With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
Tyler Mitchell