About 800 state and federal police officers in New South Wales and 70 in Queensland participated. Sydney suburbs of Beecroft, Bellavista, Guildford, Merrylands, Northmead, Wentworthville, Marsfield, Westmead, Castle Hill, Revesby, Bass Hill and Regents Park were filtered as part of the operation. Three people tried to resist arrest. The principal suspect captured, Omarjan Azari, 22, from Guildford, was charged with serious terrorism offences, apparently including the intent to carry out a public beheading on the streets of Sydney. His next court appearance was set for November 13.
According to the Australian police, the scenario was to behead a random member of the public and drape the victim in the flag of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. The plan involved the “random selection of persons to rather gruesomely execute. Orders for the attacks came from Mohammad Ali Baryalei, a 33-year-old former Sydney nightclub bouncer who is believed to be the highest-ranking Australian in Islamic State.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott told to the media, confirming: “That’s the intelligence we received.” NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione called for the public to remain “calm” “We won’t be tolerating any misbehaviour on the streets,” he added. Last week the government raised the terror alert level to “high” on a four-tier scale.
