Ben185/iStock/Thinkstock(MELBOURNE, Australia) — Police in Australia say that they have foiled a terror attack that would have targeted the city of Melbourne, possibly on Christmas Day.
Seven people were arrested and five are still being questioned, Victoria police said in a Friday morning press conference. The attack is believed to have involved explosives and possibly other types of weapons and would have targeted a public area in the heart of Melbourne.
According to police, four of the five people being questioned are Australian-born and of Lebanese origin, while the fifth is an Egyptian-born Australian citizen. All five were believed to have been self-radicalized by ISIS propaganda.
The individuals involved were persons of interest for some time, police said, and that in the last few weeks, the situation had accelerated to an investigation of the possible formation of a terror plot.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews called such threats “very real” across the city and state, and called the plot “evil.” He urged Victorians to go about their business, but to be aware of their surroundings.
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