Anti-terror arrests in Australia

New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn told reporters on Wednesday that police arrested two men in a raid on property in a western suburb of Sydney on Tuesday.

"When we did the search of the premises, a number of items were located, including a machete, a hunting knife, a home-made flag representing the prescribed terrorist organization IS, and also a video which depicted a man talking about carrying out an attack," Burn told reporters.

Police charged the two men, aged 24 and 25, with undertaking acts in preparation or planning for a terrorist attack; they were expected in a local court later on Wednesday.

Burn said that authorities believed, that the men were planning some kind of imminent attack prior to their arrest, but also said "we are of the view that there is no further imminent attack relating to these two men." The contents of the video, Burn said, indicated that the men were planning an attack.

"We can't go into the details of what was actually said in that message," Burn said of the video. "However, the intent is clear and the intent is what I have told you today."

In December, Sydney was the site of a siege at a café, conducted by Iranian-born Man Haron Monis, a self-styled cleric with a history of extremist views. He took 17 people hostage for hours, with the siege ending when he shot dead the manager, Tori Johnson, prompting police to charge the premises. Monis was killed in the operation, another hostage died in the crossfire.

Australia had raised its terror threat level last September in response to the threat from the self-styled "Islamic State," carrying out extensive raids in Brisbane and Sydney, saying these foiled a plot by IS supporters to abduct and behead a member of the public.

The Royal Australian Air Force is among those currently conducting airstrikes over IS-held territory in Iraq as part of the US-led strikes against the terror group, having joined the mission last October.

msh/bw (AFP, AP, Reuters)