Australian police in Sydney have seized a caravan loaded with explosives and containing a list of Jewish addresses.
A major counterterrorism investigation is underway following the discovery, which follows a wave of at least 10 antisemitic attacks in Australia in recent months, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told reporters.
The note referencing Jewish addresses, including that of a synagogue, contained the message “f*** the Jews,” according to the Daily Mail.
Treating the case as a terror threat, police are working to determine the van’s origins, ownership and any associates linked to it.
NSW Police, in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police, the NSW Crime Commission and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, have launched a large-scale probe involving 100 officers.
“I want to make it absolutely clear—anyone attempting terrorism, violence, or hatred will be met with the full force of the law,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns.
“There will be absolutely no tolerance under any circumstances for these acts of criminal violence in our community,” he added.
Several arrests have already been made, with some of the detained individuals allegedly being connected to prior attacks, Hudson added.
“We’re taking this seriously and all lines of inquiry are being pursued, but I want to stress we do not believe there is an ongoing threat from this discovery,” he said.
Hudson told The Guardian that the caravan packed with explosives posed a much greater threat than the other recent antisemitic attacks in Sydney.
When asked about the potential damage, he estimated that the blast radius could have reached up to 40 meters in diameter.
However, authorities are also considering the possibility that the caravan was deliberately placed for police to find.
“Some things just don’t add up,” an anonymous source close to the investigation told the Daily Telegraph, citing the conspicuous placement of the vehicle and notes.
The discovery follows a series of recent antisemitic attacks in Sydney, including arson and vandalism targeting synagogues and Jewish institutions.
It comes after the AFP disclosed that it was looking into whether foreign actors, particularly Iran, had funded local criminals to carry out the attacks, including a firebombing of a local synagogue.
