A caravan filled with explosives, discovered near Sydney, Australia, has sparked a major counter-terrorism investigation. Authorities are treating the incident as a credible threat targeting the Jewish community, with over 100 detectives working to identify those responsible.
The discovery of a caravan loaded with explosives has triggered a significant police response, raising concerns about a potential mass casualty attack targeting the Jewish community. Authorities are treating the incident as a credible terror threat and have deployed over 100 counter-terrorism detectives to investigate those behind the plot, which was uncovered nearly two weeks ago.
The caravan was found abandoned on a semi-rural road in Dural, a suburb located approximately 30 minutes northwest of Sydney's central business district. A resident reported it to authorities on January 20th, initiating a massive multi-agency probe involving over 100 counter-terrorism investigators.The explosives found in the caravan were powergel, commonly used in the mining industry, and had the potential to create a blast with a radius of 40 meters. Alongside the explosives, authorities discovered a note containing the addresses of Jewish individuals and institutions, including the phrase 'f--- the Jews'. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated on Thursday that while explosives were present, no detonator was found with the caravan. Police have emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the community.The investigation is being led by a multi-agency task force comprising NSW Police, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, and the NSW Crime Commission. Authorities are actively exploring whether the caravan was deliberately abandoned to be discovered by police or if someone planned to reveal the existence of the explosives. NSW Police also confirmed their collaboration with Victoria Police and Queensland Police. While arrests have been made in connection with individuals linked to other alleged antisemitic attacks, the primary perpetrators remain at large. Police have disclosed that the caravan's owner is currently in custody for unrelated matters. The public was informed about the incident on Wednesday, 10 days after the discovery of the explosives.NSW Premier Chris Minns defended the decision to keep the discovery confidential, asserting that he did not want the public to believe that police had been inactive over the past 10 days. He argued that disclosing information about counter-terrorism investigations upon commencement would be impractical. He emphasized the need for police to conduct inquiries discreetly, away from media scrutiny. Federal Liberal MP Julian Leeser, whose electorate includes Dural, expressed his belief that police should inform the community about these investigations at the earliest possible opportunity. He echoed Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's call for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other senior Labor ministers to reveal when they were informed about the incident. Premier Minns countered that it was easy for some politicians to demand immediate disclosure, particularly with the federal election approaching. He urged everyone to allow NSW Police to conduct the investigations effectively, stating that the stakes could not be higher. Politics, he argued, could wait for another day.NSW Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson stated on ABC Radio that the incident had not been formally classified as a terrorist investigation. However, he acknowledged that the nature of the note listing 'Jewish entities' had prompted NSW police to categorize it as a 'terrorism space' matter. Both Albanese and Minns, however, characterized the incident as an act of terrorism. Albanese stated that it was clearly designed to inflict harm but also to instill fear within the community, which aligns with the definition of terrorism
TERRORISM EXPLOSIVES AUSTRALIA SYDNEY JEWISH COMMUNITY POLICE INVESTIGATION
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