Sydney – Australian police said they had raided a number of properties around the southern city of Melbourne on Tuesday, part of a security crackdown on radical Islamists authorities believe are planning attacks in the country.
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Australia, which is backing the United States and its escalating action against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, is on high alert for attacks by radicalised Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.
Last week, an 18-year-old identified as Abdul Numan Haider was shot by counter-terrorism police in the Melbourne suburb of Endeavour Hills after he attacked them with a knife.
“This operational activity is not in response to a threat to public safety nor is it related to last week’s incident at Endeavour Hills,” Australian Federal Police said in a statement about the raids on Tuesday.