Four arrested in Australia as police thwart Islamist-inspired plot to bring down a plane, by AP.

Police disrupted a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane and arrested four men on Saturday in raids on homes in several Sydney suburbs, the prime minister said. …

“I can report last night that there has been a major joint counterterrorism operation to disrupt a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane,” Turnbull told reporters. “The operation is continuing.”

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said details were scant on the specifics of the attack, the location and timing. …

“We believe it’s Islamic-inspired terrorism,” Colvin said when asked if the Islamic State group was behind the plot.

The plot was the 13th significant threat disrupted by police since Australia’s terrorist threat level was elevated in 2014, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said. Five plots have been executed. …

Since Australia’s terrorist threat level was raised in 2014, 70 suspects have been charged in 31 counter-terrorism police operations, Keenan said.

Rosie Lewis adds:

Four people have been arrested and are in custody after the NSW counter-terrorism team conducted raids across the Sydney suburbs of Surry Hills, Lakemba, Punchbowl and Wiley Park overnight, with searches expected to take many more hours or days. …

hat-tip Stephen Neil