iStock/Thinkstock(SYDNEY) — Officials in Australia have foiled a suspected terrorist plot to bring down an airplane, according to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Four men were arrested in the Sydney-area as part of the major counter-terrorism operation, and a “considerable amount of material” was seized by police, Turnbull said.
Australian Federal Police said the plot, believed by officials to be Islamist-inspired, involved an improvised device targeting the aviation industry.
“Additional security measures were put in place at Sydney airport on Thursday,” Turnbull said Saturday. “These and further measures have been extended to all major airports at domestic and international terminals around the country.”
The counter-terrorism operation is ongoing, according to the prime minister.
Screening at airports in Australia will now take longer with the additional security measures, transport security officials tell ABC News. And the national terror alert level remains at “high.”
“The number one priority of my government and my commitment to the Australian people is to keep them safe,” Turnbull said.
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