Australian police arrest seven teenagers in counter-terrorism raids across Sydney

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In a series of counter-terrorism raids across Sydney, Australian police have arrested seven teenagers, claiming it was "likely" the youths may have been plotting an attack. The suspects, aged between 15 and 17, are believed to share a "religiously motivated violent extremist ideology," according to police.

The raids are connected to last week's stabbing of Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, which police have declared a "terrorist act." Investigators allege that the arrested teenagers belong to the same network as the 16-year-old boy who has been charged with a terror offense in relation to the attack, which occurred during a livestreamed sermon at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the western Sydney suburb of Wakeley.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson stated that the youths were "linked in a common purpose" and posed an "unacceptable risk and threat" to the public. He added that the group had been under surveillance following the church incident, and police intercepted them because "it was likely an attack might ensue," although no specific plan or target had been identified, BBC News reported. 

The state's joint counterterrorism team is conducting an ongoing investigation, with 400 police officers involved in Wednesday's raids and search warrants issued at thirteen locations across southwest Sydney.

The Christ The Good Shepherd Church is located in Wakeley, home to a significant portion of Australia's Assyrian Christian community, many of whom have fled persecution and war in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. Bishop Emmanuel, the victim of last week's stabbing, is a well-known but divisive figure in the community, known for his ultra-conservative and often controversial views on issues such as same-sex marriage, the Islamic faith, government lockdowns, and vaccines.

Authorities have declined to disclose the religion of the alleged teenage attacker.