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Five teenagers have been charged in relation to the stabbing of a bishop at a Sydney church, after counterterrorism on Wednesday.
Two males, aged 17 and 14, were charged with possessing or controlling violent extremist material.
Another two males, both aged 16, were charged with conspiring to engage in an act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act, while another was charged with the same as well as custody of a knife in a public place.
All five were refused bail to appear before a children’s court on Thursday.
The arrests and charges come in the wake of a knife attack at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s western suburb of Wakeley last week.
A 16-year-old, who allegedly stabbed Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and injured priest Isaac Royel, has since been charged with committing a terrorist act.
“From that initial incident, a number of associates were identified that we believe warranted further police attention and investigation,” NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told reporters.
“We will allege that these individuals adhered to a religiously motivated, violent, extremist ideology.”
The stabbing led to the formation of the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprised of members of the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and NSW Crime Commission.
More than 400 officers were involved in Wednesday’s operations, and a total of seven teenagers were arrested.
A number of items were also seized, including a significant amount of electronic material, according to police.
