Australian teenager in court over terrorist bomb plot

An Australian teenager who was allegedly planning a bomb plot has appeared in children’s court charged with terrorism offenses.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested in a raid on his home in Melbourne’s northern suburbs on Friday.

Police said his arrest halted a plot to detonate three homemade bombs in the city. He was remanded in custody.

The teenager did not apply for bail and will face court again on 26 May.

He was charged with engaging in an act in preparation for, or planning a terrorist act. He was also charged with possessing things connected to a terror plot.

None of his family appeared in court on Monday, according to local media, which also reported he had dropped out of school and posted radical statements on social media.

The arrest comes not long after five men were detained last month, also in Melbourne, for allegedly planning an attack on an Anzac Day ceremony.

Last September saw the country’s biggest counter-terrorism operation, with 15 people arrested.

In a separate case, a South Australian doctor believed to be working for Islamic State (IS) has accused Australia of having “blood on its hands” and says he will never return to Australia.

Dr Tareq Kamleh, who has worked in several Australian hospitals, appeared in an IS propaganda video in April saying he had gone to Syria to work for IS.

The Medical Board of Australia has begun regulatory action regarding Dr Kamleh’s medical registration.

In a social media post reported by local media, Dr Kamleh said the drone strikes that had occurred since he had been in Syria had killed civilians rather than soldiers.

“Good work ‘Team Australia’!….from what I’ve seen you have more blood on your hands than ISIS has on their knives,” his post reportedly said.

In Friday’s Melbourne raid, police detonated three devices that had been found in the home of the teenager.

Heavily armed officers made the raid after a tip-off to a security hotline.

“There is evidence of a bomb plot that was in a reasonably advanced state of preparation,” said Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Saturday.

Police said they were unable to confirm what the target for the alleged attack was.

“But let me tell you, something was going to happen,” Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Phelan told a press conference in Melbourne.