Update | Australian police foil ‘Islamic-inspired’ terror plot to bring down aeroplane

Australia has foiled an Islamist-inspired “terrorist plot” to bring down an aeroplane with an improvised explosive, authorities said Sunday, after four people were arrested in raids across Sydney.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the plot appeared to be “elaborate” rather than planned by a lone wolf, as security was beefed up at major domestic and international airports across the nation.

“I can report last night that there has been a major joint counterterrorism operation to disrupt a terrorist plot to bring down an aeroplane,” Turnbull said.

“The threat of terrorism is very real. The disruption operation, the efforts overnight have been very effective but there’s more work to do.”

Officials did not specify if the alleged plot involved a domestic or international flight, but Sydney’s Daily Telegraph reported that a local route had been the objective.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin described the plot as “Islamic-inspired”, saying four men had been arrested in a series of raids across Sydney on Saturday.