(MENAFN) Following the stabbing of a religious leader at a Wakeley church last week, a collaborative counter-terrorism operation in Sydney led to the arrest of seven juveniles on Wednesday.
"Seven people, all juveniles, have been arrested and a further five are assisting police with our inquiries," Australian Federal Police (AFP) Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett clarified at a news conference.
"As part of our JCTT (Joint Counter Terrorism Team) investigation into the alleged Wakeley stabbing, we identified links between the alleged offender and the network of associates and peers who we believe shared a similar violent extremist ideology," she pointed out.
At approximately 11:15 AM local time, a joint counter-terrorism operation involving over 400 officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) commenced. A total of 13 search warrants were executed across southwestern Sydney as part of the operation.
David Hudson, deputy commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF), stated that after the apprehension of a 16-year-old offender, a number of associates were identified that "warranted further close attention and investigation."
"We will allege that these individuals adhere to a religiously motivated violent extremist ideology. These investigations have been progressing since the incident. The investigations included comprehensive surveillance activities and intensive scrutiny of those individuals," declared Hudson.
As per his briefing, partner agencies convened meetings on Tuesday during which they resolved to "escalate" their activities.
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