Australian authorities thwart terror plot to ‘take down’ an airplane: report

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Saturday that counterterrorism raids in Sydney thwarted a terrorist plan to “bring down” an airplane.

The Australian reported that four men have been arrested in connection with the plot, though they have not yet been charged by police. 

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said authorities believe the planned attack was inspired by the Islamic State. 

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Australian authorities are still investigating the matter and have not yet determined when or where the attack would have been carried out. 

“However, we are investigating information indicating that the aviation industry was potentially a target of that attack,” Colvin said, according to The Australian. Authorities, he said, were taking the threat “very seriously.”

Australia has been on heightened alert for ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks since 2014.

Australia’s Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the foiled plan on Saturday was the 13th such plot thwarted by authorities since 2014, according to The Australian.

“The primary threat to Australia still remains lone actors,” Keenan said. “But the events overnight remind us that there is still the ability for people to have sophisticated plots and sophisticated attacks remain a real threat.”