OAN Staff Avril Elfi
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 12:10 PM
Australia has raised its terrorism threat level from “possible” to “likely.”
advertisement
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised the country’s threat level, saying there was a 50% or greater chance of an attack in Australia within the next 12 months due to rising extremist views, but he said he was only following the advice of security agencies and there was no imminent threat of an attack.
“The advice we’ve received is that more Australians are embracing a greater variety of extremist ideas and it is our responsibility to be vigilant,” he told a news conference.
Australia’s threat level was downgraded to “possible” for 2022 after eight years of being listed as “likely”.
Mike Burgess, director of Australia’s Security Intelligence Agency, said tensions in the Middle East were contributing to the country’s elevated threat level.
“The conflict has stoked resentment, promoted protests, weakened social cohesion and increased intolerance,” he said.
The country has seen several attacks blamed on extremists in recent months.
These incidents include a knife attack in Sydney in April on an Assyrian bishop and several of his supporters, which Australian police described as an act of terrorism fuelled by suspected religious extremism.
Stay up to date! Receive the latest news directly in your email for free. Sign up here: https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement below
Please share this post!
