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PM says ISIS planning public beheading in Australia

Source: Xinhua | September 18, 2014, Thursday | Online Edition

A public execution of a random Australian was designed to shock the community, a Sydney court heard on Thursday.

Details of the alleged plot have emerged as the first man charged after Thursday morning's terror raids, the biggest in Australian history, has appeared at Sydney Local Court on one charge to act in preparation for terrorist attack.

Omarjan Azari, 22, is accused of conspiring with Mohammed Ali Baryalei, the most senior Australian involved in Islamic State (IS) .

Commonwealth prosecutor Michael Allnutt alleged the plan to commit the act was designed to "shock, horrify, and terrify" the community.

"I don't think I've seen much worse," he said. "It's been an immediate reaction to a clear, imperative danger. There is still an enormous amount of material for police to assess."

Azari's appearance follows a series of raids across Sydney and Brisbane and allegations of a plot to behead an Australian and upload the act to social media.

Earlier on Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that intelligence indicates people in Australia were allegedly planning a public beheading to be carried out in the name of militant group ISIS.

Abbott's comments came as police say they have thwarted a " serious act of violence" after arresting 15 people and charging one in the wake of the counter-terrorism raids across Sydney and Brisbane on Thursday.

The prime minister told reporters that a senior member of Islamic State, who is an Australian, had urged supporters at home to carry out "demonstration killings" in Australia, according to intelligence reports.

Abbott was asked about reports that there were plans to conduct public beheadings, and he responded, "That's the intelligence we received."

The prime minister's comments came after police launched the biggest counter-terrorism raids in nation's history.

More than 800 officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and New South Wales (NSW) Police Force conducted 25 search warrants across Sydney Thursday morning on a group of people who allegedly had "intent to carry out random attacks on individuals in Australia".

Police raids were also carried out in Brisbane on Thursday and are linked to men arrested in a raid at an Islamic center south of the city earlier this month.

In Sydney, police said they believe the group they had targeted was actively preparing for the attacks however there is no information regarding a specific attack, including dates, time or location.

Police said warrants were undertaken to prevent the group's planning activities at the earliest opportunity, and collect further evidence.

AFP Acting Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the purpose of the raids was to keep the community safe. "The police activity today was about preventing this group at the earliest possible opportunity and ensuring their plans did not come to fruition," Colvin said in a statement.  "Law enforcement agencies will continue to work together to combat threats before they become a reality."

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the operation reflected the reality of the threat Australia faced and also the strength and capability of the counter terrorism agencies state and federal.

"It is of serious concern that in the heart of our community there have been plans to conduct a random attack. We know there were plans on foot and we have been able to disrupt that," he said.

"We want people to continue to enjoy the freedoms that make our country such a wonderful and harmonious country."

Scipione also announced the launch of Operation Hammerhead in Sydney involving 220 officers who will be patrolling public areas to prevent terrorism attacks.

"We will ensure high visibility police operations in areas where potentially people may want to either take some retribution or create trauma within communities," he said.

"We won't be letting that happen. There will be over 220 police very visible, out and about, dealing with any trouble makers."

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