This content was published on March 17, 2021 – 07:45
Sydney (Australia), March 17 (EFE) .- The Australian Police arrested two men, aged 19 and 20, in the city of Melbourne on Wednesday as part of an anti-terrorist operation for their alleged links to actions related to “extremism religious”.
The authorities also detained a 16-year-old youth during the operation who was later released, the Victoria State Police, southeastern Australia, said in a statement.
The assistant commissioner, Michael Hermans, indicated at a press conference that the aforementioned actions are a fire on the outskirts of the city that occurred on February 18 and an assault on an individual in a public place in the metropolitan area on March 10.
The policeman, who avoided revealing more information because the investigation is still open, described the two incidents as “attacks motivated by extremist religious ideology” and described the detainees as “Islamists.”
“We receive reports that suggest that his ideology is a matter of concern for the Victoria community,” said the officer, who explained that the regional, federal police and intelligence services intervened during the operation.
Hermans stated that the two suspects could face charges of terrorist attack or preparation of a terrorist attack, both punishable by severe prison terms.
Australia has previously been the scene of at least four violent actions by “lone wolves” since it raised the terrorist alert in 2014.
The most serious of these was in 2014 in the financial heart of Sydney with the taking of hostages in a cafeteria, which resulted in the death of two hostages and the kidnapper.
In 2018, an Australian of Somali origin crashed his vehicle, loaded with gas bottles, in a commercial area of Melbourne and then attacked passersby with a knife, wounding two of them, until the police shot and killed him. died in hospital. EFE
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