Video from Aran Sherani’s phone shows him lighting a fire in the name of Islamic State

An accused terrorist brandished a knife in an online video before leading counter-terrorism officers on a 1.5km foot chase ending in his arrest Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard Wednesday.

An accused terrorist brandished a knife in an online video where he pledged allegiance to ISIS moments before police swooped on him, a court has heard.

Aran Sherani, 20, allegedly recorded dozens of videos of himself where he was seen holding the weapon and smiling as he vowed to “pursue revenge for the Muslims”.

“Is the blood of Muslims cheap?” he exclaimed while standing in an Epping grasslands on March 17 last year, the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard.

“Do Jihad, do Jihad” the court heard he said moments before his arrest.

Mr Sherani led counter-terrorism officers on a 1.5km foot chase, where he turned and laughed at the running officers during the pursuit.

Australian Federal Police Senior Constable Ty Thornton told the court he eventually crash tackled Mr Sherani from behind.

“They wouldn’t play it if it was footy, your honour,” he said.

Mr Sherani allegedly posted a video on Instagram while in the field, where he declared allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State while brandishing his weapon.

Just an hour earlier, he bought the knife at a nearby Coles.

He faces charges of purchasing “a knife in preparation for a terrorist act” and lighting two bushfires in Humevale and Kinglake a month earlier.

The accused terrorist declared allegiance to Islamic State as he filmed himself torching bushland once ravaged in the Black Saturday fires, a court has heard.

Aran Sherani, 20, and his co-accused brother Ari Sherani, 21, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday for the second day of a hearing to determine if they should stand trial on terrorism offences.

Police charged the Epping brothers for attempting to engage in a terrorist attack after they allegedly tried to light a bushfire in Humevale on February 18 last year – 13 years after deadly fires in the area claimed the lives of 173 people.

Detective Senior Constable Jan-Paul Antemes from the Australian Federal Police told the court a video on Aran Sherani’s phone showed lighting the fire in the name of Islamic State.

Photographs of the Humevale fire were shown in court. Picture: Supplied

Ten days later on February 28, police also allege Aran Sherani lit another fire in Kinglake.

On March 17 officers swooped on him, arresting him near his home, after receiving intel he had threatened to kill an Islamic leader.

He’d also allegedly bought a hunting knife “in preparation for a terrorist act” and knuckle dusters.

Constable Antemes said Aran Sherani thought officers were coming to kill him when police arrested him during counter-terrorism raids.

In phone conversations with police in the hours before his arrest, Aran Sherani refused to meet officers, telling them “Why? So you can shoot and kill me?”.

Detective Leading Constable Owen Matthews from the Special Investigation Unit told the court he was briefed that Aran Sherani wanted to travel to a conflict zone and would be a risk to the public if he was unable to leave Australia.

The brothers appeared together via video link from prison and at times looked bored with the proceedings as witnesses were questioned about the Humevale and Kinglake fire.

Only Aran Sherani is facing charges over the Kinglake fire.

Photos were shown to the court revealing the extent of the damage of the Humevale fire, with charred trees and scrub extending up a steep hill.

Senior Fire Investigator Les Vearing told the court the Humevale fire was of “low intensity” and the nearest homes about 300m away were unlikely to be threatened.

Mr Vearing said the area had previously been burnt during the Black Saturday bushfires but could tell the difference because the “fresh fire was much starker in colour”.

The hearing continues at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

Aran Sherani,20, and his co-accused brother Ari Sherani, 21, were ordered to return to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on March 15.