Sydney: Police in Australia have arrested seven teenagers in a series of counter-terrorism operations across Sydney. Authorities suspect that those youngsters might be planning aggression as they are considered to share a ‘religiously motivated violent extremist ideology.’
The aggressions are connected to the stabbing of an Assyrian bishop which was expressed as a ‘terrorist act’ by the police. The suspects are reportedly “juveniles” aged between 15 and 17 years old. Several teenagers were blamed by probing officials for being part of the same group as the 16-year-old boy who is accused of committing a terror offence.
The attack ensued during a live-streamed speech where Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed, and at least four individuals experienced non-threatening wounds. The circumstances took place in the western Sydney suburb of Wakeley, and a 16-year-old boy was also wounded.
David Hudson, New South Wales (NSW) Police Deputy Commissioner, said that, “From that initial Wakeley incident, a number of associates were identified that we believe warranted further close attention and investigation.”
Hudson remarked that the group of youths shared a common intention and posed an unacceptable threat and hazard to the public. Five other individuals are also collaborating with police investigations. The group was under supervision since the current incident at Christ The Good Shepherd Church and the police kept thwarting them as they believed that aggression could occur, even though there was no distinctive strategy or target recognised.
The state’s mutual counter-terrorism squad is still running an inquiry. An inquiry warrant was published at thirteen locations across southwest Sydney in the wake of the recent raid, which involved 400 police officers.
Wakeley, where Christ The Good Shepherd Church is located, is the residence of a substantial digit of Australia’s Assyrian Christian community, multiple of whom fled persecution and war in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. Bishop Emmanuel, who was the subject of last week’s stabbing, is widely known and holds considerable observation online.
Although he is a well-known personality, he is often a subject of controversy due to his extreme conservative beliefs. His views on certain matters, such as same-sex marriage and the Islamic faith, were criticised for their divisiveness. Additionally, during the pandemic, he spoke out against government lockdowns and vaccinations. The authorities did not reveal the religion of his accused teenage assailant.
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