Australian officials claim they averted a potential “mass casualty” assault after discovering a trailer filled with explosives in northwest Sydney, with “some indications” it was to be used against targets in the Jewish community following a string of antisemitic attacks. “This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns stated in a news briefing on Wednesday after the revelation was leaked to local media. NSW Police discovered the trailer on a remote property in Dural on January 19, following a tip-off about the vehicle, according to Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson. The trailer held allegedly stolen explosives from a mining site, which could have created a 40-meter-wide blast zone, causing “a significant amount of damage,” Hudson noted.
Hudson said there were “some indications” that the Jewish community was the intended target, but he didn’t elaborate. Premier Minnesota stated on Thursday that a list of Jewish targets was discovered inside the trailer. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters Thursday that no detonator was found with the explosives, and the trailer’s registered owner was detained “on unrelated matters.”
NSW police claimed they had known about the danger since January 19, when the trailer was discovered, and justified their choice to keep it quiet for 10 days. Webb stated that the probe had been jeopardized by its revelation and that revealing any further material would undermine the work of state and federal investigators.
A collaborative counter-terrorism team of NSW Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the NSW Crime Commission, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has begun an inquiry. More than 100 cops have been deployed. Hudson stated Wednesday that “periphery” arrests had been made, but they were still looking for perpetrators who may have been involved. He encouraged anybody who witnessed the car parked in a “hazardous position” to come forward. According to Hudson, the present danger to the Jewish community has been contained. “We recognize the worries of the Jewish community, and we take these threats extremely seriously,” according to him.
