The federal government has raised the National Terrorism Public Alert level from medium to high based on advice from security and intelligence agencies, but says it was not based on knowledge of a specific attack plan.
The federal government has raised the National Terrorism Public Alert level from medium to high based on advice from security and intelligence agencies, but says it was not based on knowledge of a specific attack plan.
The federal government has raised the National Terrorism Public Alert level from medium to high based on advice from security and intelligence agencies, but says it was not based on knowledge of a specific attack plan.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a media release that security and intelligence agencies were concerned about the increasing number of Australians working with, connected to, or inspired by terrorist groups such as ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusrah, and al-Qaeda, and that the threat they posed had been increasing for more than a year.
“The first priority of the government is to ensure the safety and security of its citizens,” Mr Abbott said in a statement.
“Raising the alert level to high is designed to increase vigilance and raise awareness in the community.”
The government said it was going to increase the resources available to security agencies and border protection agencies to help detect possible terrorist activities on Australian soil, while preventing radicalised foreign fighters from returning to Australia.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation independently determines the threat level.
“More than $630 million has been provided to boost the counter-terrorism capacity of the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, ASIS, Customs and Border Protection and other agencies,” Mr Abbott said.
“We are also updating our counter-terrorism legislation to strengthen agencies’ capability to prevent and disrupt domestic security threats.”
The news follows US President Barack Obama’s public announcement yesterday, in which he explained his strategy for confronting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the Sunni militant group.