Thomas Hunter
August 4, 2009 - 7:02AM
Homes across Melbourne's north have been raided in a joint counter-terrorism operation reportedly targeting Islamic suicide bombers this morning.
Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police executed 19 search warrants at homes in Glenroy, Carlton, Meadow Heights, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Westmeadows, Preston, Epping and Colac about 4.30am.
More than 400 officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Victoria Police, NSW Police, the NSW Crime Commission and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) were involved in the operation.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said there had been a number of arrests, but she would not say how many.
Police have set up a crime scene at the corner of View and Glen streets, Glenroy, in Melbourne's north.
The Australian this morning reported that national security agencies had uncovered a plot by Islamic extremists to launch a suicide attack on an Australian army base, which was understood to be Holsworthy Barracks on Sydney's western outskirts.
It said the raids involved a suspected terrorist cell of Australian nationals of Somali and Lebanese backgrounds.
The report said members of the group had been observed carrying out surveillance at the army base and other suspicious activity around defence bases in Victoria.
It also said the cell had been inspired by the Somalia-based terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which had connections with al-Qaeda.
The investigation dubbed Operation Health, involving 150 members of the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, was launched in January, the report said.
An AFP spokeswoman this morning confirmed its officers had joined the raids.
"The AFP and Victoria Police can confirm the execution of a number of search warrants this morning as part of a joint counter-terrorism operation,'' she said.
The spokeswoman said more information would be available later this morning.
She was unable to confirm the News Ltd report.
- with AAP
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