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Australia detains 7 men with 'extremist Islamic ideology', linked to Bondi gunmen
As per local reports, the seven men were detained under the terrorism and national security legislation
Australia has detained seven men in Liverpool for having 'extremist Islamic ideology'. As per a report by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the seven men were arrested on Thursday by heavily armed officers.
Speaking to ABC Radio, a senior New South Wales police officer stated that investigators believe the seven detained men were en-route to Bondi and may be linked with he two shooters - Sajid and Naveed Akram.
"We have some indication that Bondi was one of the locations they might be visiting yesterday but with no specific intent in mind or proven at this stage," said NSW Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson to ABC Radio Sydney.
As per local reports, the seven men were detained under the terrorism and national security legislation that allows law enforcement to detain and question suspects for up to a week before laying charges. This act is rarely used in Australian arrests.
Also Read | Bondi Beach shooter Sajid Akram originally from India's Hyderabad, officials say
"We made the decision that our tolerance for risk and threshold for risk is, as you can understand, very low at the moment following last Sunday's atrocities," said Hudson, referring to the declared terror attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people.
A total of 16 people were killed, including one gunman, on Sunday during a Hanukkah gathering at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The two gunmen, Sajid and Naveed Akram, were a father and son duo and influenced by ISIS ideology.
The Bondi shooting was the deadliest Australia has seen since the 1996 mass shooting at Port Arthur which killed 35 people.
