Alleged teen terror group ‘wanted to target Jews’

Sydney’s Jewish leaders are on high alert after revelations the alleged teenage terrorists arrested in a mass raid were planning to target their community in ultimately foiled attacks.

An alleged youth terror group planned to target Jews, according to police. Picture: NSW Police

Members of an alleged youth terror cell in western Sydney reportedly wanted to target Jews, were ready to “die” for their cause, and called themselves “soldiers of Allah” in a series of text messages.

Sydney’s Jewish leaders were on alert on Sunday night after ­revelations the alleged teenage ­ terrorists arrested in a mass raid had been planning to target their community.

A police fact sheet tendered to court at the weekend says the teens started their plot after the stabbing of an Ayssrian bishop by one of their alleged associates, and that they planned to buy guns and store them in abandoned homes.

One alleged jihadi also wrote that he wanted to target Jews.

The Australian has previously revealed one of them had been following a Hamas supporter on ­social media.

“I really want to target the ­yahood (Jewish people) … we will plan it,” one 15-year-old allegedly sent to a group chat titled “Plans” on April 19, four days after the Wakeley stabbing incident.

The Australian understands Jewish leaders found out about the teens’ focus on their community only when reports emerged of the fact sheet on Sunday night. NSW Board of Deputies president David Ossip said he hoped to receive more information from the police and the relevant ministers. “These are obviously very troubling reports and we look forward to receiving further information from the relevant authorities,” he said.

The four alleged terrorist youths were arrested in sweeping anti-terror raids last Wednesday following a possible terrorism incident at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, western Sydney, where a 16-year-old boy allegedly stabbed four people.

The four teenagers used end-to-end encryption platform Signal to allegedly discuss obtaining guns and committing jihad, the Daily Telegraph reported, quoting a police fact sheet tendered to court.

The four are teenage boys aged 15, 16, and two aged 17.

The 15-year-old also allegedly sent a message after the Wakeley stabbings that “I know the bloke who done it he’s my mate”, the Daily Telegraph reported.

“I wanna die and I wanna kill … I’m just excited … Is your plan to get caught or die or escape?” one of the 17-year-olds wrote in a message on April 20.

The 16-year-old allegedly wrote online: “Allah is the best of planners and we are the soldiers of Allah.”

It was previously reported that seven teenagers arrested in Joint Counter Terrorism Team raids had been connected to the 16-year-old accused of stabbing four in the Wakeley stabbings through an encrypted group chat and that they shared a “violent extremist ideology”.

The Australian has previously revealed that the 16-year-old appeared to idolise 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and his Muslim community leaders and peers had grown increasingly concerned with his “extreme religious views”.

That 16-year-old has been charged with committing a terrorist act under federal law and faces a maximum of life imprisonment. He has not yet submitted a plea.

The latest update from NSW police was that six teenagers, aged between 14 and 17, have been charged in the JCTT’s investi­gation into associates of that 16-year-old who allegedly stabbed four at the Wakeley church.

A 14-year-old and a 17-year-old have been charged with possessing or controlling violent extremist material obtained or accessed using a carriage service.

Two 16-year-olds have been charged with conspiring to engage in an act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act.

A 17-year-old has been charged with conspiring to engage in an act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act and custody of a knife in a public place.

And a 15-year-old has been charged with conspiring to engage in any act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act.

None has entered pleas and all matters remain before courts.

Amid revelations of the boys’ alleged plan, Australian Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay backed Australia’s online safety laws amid a legal stoush between the eSafety Commissioner and billionaire X owner Elon Musk over the Wakeley stabbing.

Mr Musk’s social media platform X has refused to take down a video of the Wakeley church stabbing despite such an order and is now under scrutiny by a Federal Court judge.

While the social media company has restricted access for Australian IP addresses, Australian users can still access the video when on a virtual private network.

In an opinion column for The Australian on Monday, Ms Finlay said “global tech companies … need to understand that they are not above the law”.

“The material in question here is a video showing a violent attack that has led a 16-year-old to be charged with committing a terrorist act,” she writes.

“Australian law rightly restricts online content that shows or encourages terrorism, other forms of extreme violence, or child sexual abuse.”

Ms Finlay urged caution about the “remit of Australian laws overseas and the broader impact on free speech, but this does not mean we should remove online safety laws altogether”.

She said tech companies should be held accountable if they did not back up with action their public promises to remove terrorist and violent extremist content online.

Isaac Royel pictured during the Sunday morning mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley. Picture: Monique Harmer / Daily Telegraph

It comes as one of the priests injured in the Wakeley church stabbing two weeks ago on Sunday appeared at mass for the first time since the incident.

Isaac Royel, 39, sustained lacerations and a shoulder wound as he tried to intervene, police said.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, 53, who was stabbed on the church’s live stream, has not been seen since the incident.

In a live stream of the service on Sunday morning, Father Royel appeared to be moving without visible discomfort, taking part in the service and using both his arms. It was a Palm Sunday service, the first day of Holy Week in Christianity.