September 19, 2014: 5.59pm: Three men have been released from police custody this afternoon following the expiration of three preventative detention orders. The trio were taken into custody under the orders yesterday morning, as part of Operation Appleby — the largest counter-terror probe in Australia.
A release from NSW Police Media stated that "legal constraints prevented comment on the orders while they were in place. Additional search warrant activity occurred at two locations (Menangle and Merrylands) last night as a follow up to earlier operational activity. No arrests were made as part of these warrants."
Last night, the NSW Police Force announced the activation of a "high-visibility policing operation", called Operation Hammerhead, following the counter-terrorism operation. It is an ongoing statewide operation focusing on high-visibility policing, increased presence in public places and public transport hubs.
“Operation Hammerhead will focus mainly on metropolitan Sydney and primarily involve general duties police," NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said. "If need be, those officers will be used wherever our operational intelligence dictates."
September 18, 2014, 5pm: NSW Police Minister Stuart Ayres just spoke on Sky News. He said the police were collecting as much evidence as they could today and investigations would continue.
"We are very vigilant here in NSW.
"We are endeavouring to stay one step ahead of these people who might want to attack our country.
"We are watching people of interest and if we feel like there’s a risk to the community we will take action like we did today.
"Don't change the way you're living your life... enjoy the freedom we've got in this country."
4.55pm: Western Sydney Local Health District could not confirm if security will be increased across western Sydney hospitals, but acting health services functional area coordinator David Simmonds released the following statement:
"Management at Western Sydney Local Health District has distributed advice to staff, from The Ministry of Health, reminding them of the need to be vigilant of the their surroundings and to report any standard operating procedures."
4pm: Shoppers at Merrylands CBD spoke to reporter Vanessa Watson about what they thought of the raids.
Tony Chahine, Parramatta: "It's a little confronting...Everyone should be aware of what's going on in their neighbourhood and be alert and not alarmed."
Jude Daley, Guildford West: "I was but I feel the police got into it straight away. I saw the police outside the house and how they went in and searched the place, and about two or three suspects were taken away."
John Malo, Merrylands: "They shouldn't be bringing their stuff over here, this place is not a war torn place. The simultaneous raids were pretty epic. It seems the police are doing their job -- good on them.
Lina Marroun, Merrylands: "All I want to say is ISIS have killed more Muslims than other nationality or religion, (and I'm a Christian saying that) so I don't think this is indicative of their faith."
2.58pm: A spokeswoman for the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta says: "We've had no threats to our students or our schools that we are aware of. We understand the concerns of some of the community, but we believe we have good security and we've received no threats."
2.55pm: Quakers Hill command’s multicultural community liaison officer (MCLO), Senior Constable Sue Carter said no groups had contacted her in relation to terror concerns, but she expects calls to start trickling in in coming days.
On the Quakers Hill LAC Facebook page, she asked the community to be ‘‘more vigilant than usual’’ and to report any racists threats to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. "Any community member/s experiencing person/s door-knocking and asking for specific personnel details, to contact Quakers Hill Police on 9678 8999," she wrote.
Merrylands’ MCLO did not wish to comment on recent terror events when we called her, and the Parramatta MCLO was away from the office.
Castle Hill command does not have a MCLO.
2.33pm: The Hills Council has declined to make a comment on the terror raids that took place last night and earlier today. Three of the raids took place within The Hills including Castle Hill, Bella Vista and Northmead.
2.13pm: Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lebanon Mons Shora Maree has made a comment about a death threat made to the Maronite College of The Holy Family. The church is located next door to the school.
He said: "This is now in the hands of police who are fully investigating. Please do not respond to or circulate any other version of the truth on social media as it creates unnecessary panic."
2.06pm: Although there is no confirmation this is linked to this morning’s terror raids, Castle Hill Public School received an unspecific threatening phone call at 1pm this afternoon.
Castle Hill Police said the pupils were evacuated to the oval while the entire school was searched with the assistance of staff.
‘‘No suspicious device was located,’’ a police spokesman said.
‘‘Pupils have been allowed back to their classes.’’
A parent (who did not wish to be identified) said news like this is ‘‘terrifying’’.
2.05pm: Time for a re-cap. These are the major developments following Thursday morning's pre-dawn anti-terrorism raids across Sydney:
- Fairfax Media understands police will allege that planning had begun to kidnap a random person from the streets of Sydney's CBD, behead them and drape them in the Islamic State flag.
- Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was briefed on intelligence that public beheadings were planned. He said an Australian who is "apparently quite senior in ISIL" had called on his supporters in Australia to conduct demonstration killings.
- Police allege that while the group was actively preparing a plot, there was no information about a "specific" attack, including dates or times.
- Fifteen people have been arrested in Thursday morning's raids. One man has been charged. He is Omarjan Azari, charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act.
- 800 police officers were involved in Thursday morning's raids, which were the largest anti-terrorism operation ever conducted in Australia.
1.59pm: In Marsfield, detectives could be seen leaving a home on Booth Street carrying bags of evidence, reports Louise Hall.
In one of the bags there appeared to be a large sword in a sheath. See the photo on the right.
1.22pm: Omarjan Azari, the first man charged over Thursday morning's anti-terrorism raids, is accused of conspiring with Mohammad Baryalei and others to act in preparation or plan a terrorist act or acts, court documents show.
Mr Baryalei is a former Kings Cross bouncer and part-time actor, who has been identified as the most senior Australian member of the terrorist group Islamic State.
Authorities believe Mr Baryalei, 33, has recruited at least half of the 60 Australians currently fighting with ISIL and has a trusted position in the operational command of the al-Qaeda-linked group.
He also appeared in the television series Underbelly: The Golden Mile. He was listed as playing a "paramedic" in the seventh episode's credits.
12.22pm: In Guildford, police have started to dig up the front yard of a home that was targeted during the raids.
More than a dozen officers have spent the morning searching the Lane Street home and an adjoining garage.
The residents of the home are still believed to be inside.
12.13pm: Mr Ahmad Riad of the Hills District Muslim Society said we need wisdom from our security forces and our leaders so we don’t create more fear-mongering.
"That’s great - you create some fear in any young guys and let them know we’re on top of you. When you start making a big song and dance and you have angry young men - some of them might have been law abiding citizens - been terrorised by police or services and been raided in the middle of the night."
11:10am: Fairfax Media understands police will allege planning had begun to kidnap a random person from the streets of Sydney's CBD, behead them and drape them in the Islamic State flag.
Police have not yet publicly commented on the alleged plot, but say it will be outlined in court later on Thursday.
10.58am:
Holroyd mayor Greg Cummings has warned against a backlash against Muslims and called for calm in light of anti-terror raids in western Sydney.
"Obviously whatever those arrests have involved, we don’t know any of those details as yet," Cr Cummings said.
"I’d just like people in general to stay calm. We have a very, very multicultural community that has been working very, very well in the past and I’d like hate to see any sort of incident out of this. It’s in police hands and the right things will be done.
"I believe the police are doing a wonderful job maintaining the protection of the community and I’d like to encourage any residents or anyone in our community that if they see anything suspicious, to report it to the police. It’s too early to make any comment, the police need to carry out their investigations."
10:43am: In Wentworthville, about two dozen police raided a unit as part of the large scale anti-terrorism bust at dawn, reports Emma Partridge.
Public order and riot squad police continue to guard the front of the Lane Street block.
Police have been seen searching bushes and the driveway, and it is understood several officers are still inside the unit collecting evidence.
Confused residents watched from their balconies, as police remained tight-lipped about the operation.
One policeman at the scene said arrests were made earlier in the morning.
"We are just searching now," he said.
10.35am: Australian Federal Police Acting Commissioner, Andrew Colvin said the purpose of today’s action 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,” he said.
“Law enforcement agencies will continue to work together to combat threats before they become a reality.”
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said today’s operation reflects the reality of the threat we face 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.”
“Our police will continue to work tirelessly to prevent any such attacks but I stress this is a time for calm. “
“We want people to continue to enjoy the freedoms that make our country such a wonderful and harmonious country.”
“In NSW you will see an increased police in the days and weeks ahead.''
The investigation remains ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.
Members of the community are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.
10.09am: Acting Commissioner Colvin said one person had been charged with serious terrorism offences and 14 others detained.
10am: NSW Police also announced it would be launching Operation Hammerhead, which will consist of 220 officers being "out and about" to stop reaction attacks in Sydney.
9:58am:
To re-cap the major points from the police press conference at
-The counter-terrorism raids are the largest in Australia's history
- Police allege the group targeted in the raids "had the intention and had started to carry out ... planning to commit violent acts here in Australia". Those violent acts would be carried out against random members of the public.
- One person has been charged with serious terrorism offences and 14 others detained.
- 800 police officers were involved in the operation.
9.36am
More photos released from the raids which were conducted earlier today.
9.27am: Last week, Australia's terror threat level was raised from medium to high, meaning a terror attack on home soil is now officially considered "likely".
The nation's outgoing spy chief ASIO Director General David Irvine said an attack could manifest itself in a "Bali-style attack, although Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday that the agencies had not detected any "particular plots".
9am: Penrith MP and Police Minister Stuart Ayres, refused to make a comment on the terror raids conducted across western Sydney.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and AFP Acting Commissioner Andrew Colvin will address the media at 9.30am.
8am: Parramatta Mosque's Neil El-Kadomi has asked Muslims to "call out" Islamic State supporters and ASIO to "smoke them out of their holes".
Mr El-Kadomi described the person who reportedly shouted death threats to Harris Park worshipers from a car bearing an Islamic State flag as a "coward and a stupid person" who would create further divide between Arab Australians and in the wider community.
"He must be a coward and a stupid person, who does these things. We condemn all these actions of terror, we do not support them.
"They’re [Harris Park worshipers] Arabs like us before they became Australians.
"These things are making chaos in the community between Christians and Muslims. I hope the police have caught them."
Read Mr El-Kadomi's full comments here.
7am: Police are carrying out terror raids across western Sydney and Brisbane.
NSW Police said the operation, which was still ongoing on Thursday morning, was the result of a counter-terrorism operation also involving the Australian Federal Police.
In Sydney, officers have raided properties in Beecroft, Bellavista, Guildford, Merrylands, Northmead, Wentworthville, Marsfield, Westmead, Castle Hill, Revesby, Bass Hill and Regents Park.
Three search warrants were also carried out in Brisbane's south - in Upper Mount Gravatt East, Logan, and Underwood.
Underwood is the same suburb where police raided an Islamic bookstore last week.
Hundreds of police officers are believed to be involved in the operation.
A number of arrests have been made, but police would not specify how many.
Further updates were expected later on Thursday morning.
Guildford resident Mark Anderson had just got up for work at 4.30am when he saw a helicopter circling the area and shining a light on Bursill Street.
He also heard police on a loudspeaker yelling at someone to come outside a home on Bursill Street.
"I heard them calling out to him to 'Come out!' for about 10 to 15 minutes. I don't know if he was too agreeable. I didn't really understand a name. It was pretty intense," Mr Anderson said.
"It was a pretty big deal at our place. Early last night a helicopter hovered over here for a bit as well, then this morning it all kicked off."
Mr Anderson said he attempted to drive to work just before 5am but found himself in the middle of the police cordon.
"I pulled out of my driveway and turned to go to the bowling club, and a black armoured truck was there," he said.
"I realised I was a bit inside the cordon. A cop car was blocking Railway Terrace into Bursill Street, they had blocked off right to the roundabout. The helicopter was shining a light on a house near the bowling club."
Despite the terror raids so close to his home, Mr Anderson said he was not concerned for his safety.
"I'm confident the cops know what they're doing. I'd be surprised if I knew something before they did," he said.