A 22-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and committing a terrorist attack after a stabbing in Sydney’s western suburbs left a 59-year-old man in critical condition.
NSW Police say that the victim was stabbed “a number of times” while walking through a reserve in Minto yesterday afternoon around 4pm; he suffered serious injuries to his body and hands and was airlifted to Liverpool Hospital.
Police from Macquarie Fields allege that, when they arrived at the scene, the 22-year-old attempted to stab an officer before being taken into custody. A large knife was confiscated and sent for forensic examination.
In a briefing to media, NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said:
“We know that this person has strong extremist beliefs inspired by ISIS … What made him actually act yesterday, we don’t know. But hopefully, our further investigations will uncover that. It was deliberate. It was violent. His behaviour, it could even turned worse as well. We will allege that he set out to do something yesterday. How long he had been planning this – we don’t know. This highlights the challenge that we face, though. This is the new face of terrorism.”
The alleged attacker has been refused bail, and the NSW Police Joint Counter Terrorism Team have made a statement saying there is “no ongoing threat” in relation to the incident.
Source: NSW Police / SBS News.
Photo: Joosep Martinson / Getty.
