al-Qaida Islam 101 Islam in Australia Islamic terrorism

Australia: Son of Somali refugees behind Islamo-terrorist attack in Melbourne, was known to police…….


He was acquitted in a case where he and three other accomplices were charged with plotting an attack against a military installation, the three other were eventually found guilty.

Police treat ‘cowardly’ Australia siege as terrorism

Mal Fairclough
AFP News 

A fatal shootout claimed by the Islamic State group was being treated as a terrorist attack by Australian police Tuesday, as the prime minister condemned it as “shocking and cowardly”.

A man of Somali background was killed in a gun battle with police when he opened fire following an hour-long standoff after taking a female escort hostage at a serviced apartment block in Melbourne on Monday evening.

It is alleged 29-year-old Yacqub Khayre, linked to a 2009 terror plot targeting an Australian army barracks, had first murdered a Chinese-born Australian man working as a receptionist in the foyer.

Police said he made statements “around Al-Qaeda” and called a local television station making similar comments, reportedly: “This is for IS, this is for Al-Qaeda.”

Authorities labelled the attack as a terrorism incident but added that investigations were still ongoing into whether it was planned or random.

“We’re not seeing anything indicating that he’s got some message from overseas to do this at all but, again, early days,” said Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton.

[…]

Khayre, whose parents were refugees from Somalia, was known to police and had a long criminal history.

He was charged and acquitted over a foiled plot to attack the Holsworthy Army barracks in Sydney in 2009.

Three of his co-accused were found guilty of planning the terrorist assault as payback for Australia’s military action in the Middle East.

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