Australia prevents “antisemitic” attack, finds explosives

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Australian police foiled a planned attack on a Jewish community near Sydney, after uncovering a caravan filled with explosives.

The police found the caravan on January 19 in Dural, a suburb some 36 kms (22 miles) northwest of the center of Sydney, New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson stated in a press conference.

"That caravan contained an amount of explosives and some indication that those explosives might be used in some form of antisemitic attack," he added.

Hudson assured that the threat had been fully contained, with no further risks to the Jewish community. He confirmed arrests but declined to reveal the number of detainees or the charges filed against them.

In turn, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said that more than 100 police officers were investigating the incident in a “joint counter-terrorism operation” involving state and federal police. "This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event. There is only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism,” he noted.

Notably, Australia has reportedly experienced a surge in attacks on synagogues, properties, and vehicles in recent months following the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023, where Israeli hostilities resulted in over 47,000 deaths, mostly women and children. Australian authorities have described these alleged assaults as “antisemitic” incidents.