Via the AP:
On Saturday, police disrupted a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane and arrested four men in raids on homes in several Sydney suburbs, the prime minister said on Sunday.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said security had been increased at Sydney Airport since Thursday because of the plot. The increased security measures had been extended to all major international and domestic terminals around Australia overnight.
I’ve flown in and out of the Sydney airport. This is scary stuff, here.
“I can report last night that there has been a major joint counterterrorism operation to disrupt a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane,” Turnbull told reporters. “The operation is continuing.”
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colivn said details were scant on the specifics of the attack, the location and the timing.
“In recent days, law enforcement has been become aware of information that suggested some people in Sydney were planning to commit a terrorist attack using an improvised device,” Colvin said.
“We are investigating information indicating the aviation industry was potentially a target of that attack,” he added.
Turnbull advised travelers in Australia to arrive at Australian airports earlier than usual – two hours before departure – to allow for extra security screening and to minimize carry-on baggage.
There was no evidence that airport security had been compromised, Colvin said.
“We believe it’s Islamic-inspired terrorism,” Colvin said when asked if the Islamic State group was behind the plot.
Big surprise, there.
