IS defeat won’t remove threat to Australia, ASIO warns

IS may be on the edge of defeat in Syria, but the loss won’t end the threat of homegrown ‘lone actors’ in Australia, ASIO warns.

Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Duncan Lewis warns the war against IS influence is far from over. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP

The territorial defeat of Islamic State won’t eliminate the threat to Australia, where the group will continue inspiring home-grown sympathisers.

As US-backed forces move to liberate that last Syrian village controlled by the terror group, ASIO director-general Duncan Lewis told a Senate Estimates hearing that Australians have “dispersed” as Islamic State lost territory.

“Extremist groups involved in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, particularly ISIL, continue to inspire, to radicalise and to direct individuals in Australia to support and engage in politically motivated violence,” he said, referring to an acronym used to describe Islamic State.

“ISIL’s military losses in Syria and Iraq — while great — will not eliminate the threat it poses to this country and to our interests. We expect the threat from ISIL-inspired lone actors will endure.”

He said around 100 Australians are believed to remain in Syria and Iraq after fighting for — or supporting — “extremist groups” in the conflict zone.

“With the military and territorial demise of ISIL which has resulted in the dispersal of foreign fighters — including Australians — there is less certainty about what to expect in terms of their return,” Mr Lewis said.

“However, we do not expect to see a large-scale influx of these travellers, and across government we’re working hard to ensure that they’re managed and dealt with appropriately.”

He pointed to last November’s Bourke Street attack, where restaurateur Sisto Malaspina was stabbed to death by attacker Hassan Khalif Shire Ali who was gunned down by police in Melbourne’s CBD, as the type of terrorism that is most likely to occur in Australia.

“As illustrated, I believe, by the Bourke Street attack, the most likely form of terrorism in Australia remains an attack by an individual or small group using simple attack methodologies,” he said. “While this methodology has been demonstrated, the possibility of more complex attacks of course cannot be ruled out.”