The Australian government on Monday elevated the nation’s terrorism threat alert level from “possible” to “probable,” citing concerns about increasing radicalization among young people and community tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Australia government elevated the nation’s terrorism threat alert level from “possible” to “probable” on Monday, citing concerns amidst tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
It is the first time the threat level has been elevated to the midpoint of Australia’s five-tier threat level since November 2022.
For the last eight years, the level has remained at “probable.”
However, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that while government officials believe terrorism has become an increased danger, they are not aware of any particular threats.
“I want to reassure Australians probable does not mean inevitable, and it does not mean there is intelligence about an imminent threat or danger,” Albanese told reporters.
Albanese said his government was acting on the advice of the nation’s domestic spy agency.
“The advice that we’ve received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies, and it is our responsibility to be vigilant,” Albanese said.
“We’ve seen a global rise in politically motivated violence and extremism. Many democracies are working to address this, including our friends in the United States and in the United Kingdom. There are many things driving this global trend towards violence. Governments around the world are concerned about youth radicalization, online radicalization and the rise of new mixed ideologies.”
Australian authorities last declared a terrorist act in April, when a 16-year-old boy was accused in the stabbing of a Sydney bishop while a church service was being livestreamed.