Australia has raised its national counter-terrorism alert level from medium to high. It marked the country's first change in 11 years. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the change on Friday but said that there were no imminent attacks.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters on Friday that the change was made on the basis of maintaining public safety. The move was declared two weeks after the UK elevated its terrorism threat level and a day after the US delineated its strategy for targeting ISIS militants in northern Iraq and Syria. He also said that Australia's security is one step ahead of the terrorists.
The prime minister of Australia said that the change on the nation's national counter-terrorism alert level should make no difference to normal activities but people might notice more and tighter security. The change on the alert level had been executed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) on Thursday night.
Tony Abbott stressed that the change on Australia's national counter-terrorism alert level does not imply that a terror attack is imminent. He also added that they have no specific intelligence of particular plots. But they do have intelligence that there are people with the intent and ability to mount attacks.
He also said that a modest public information drive would instigate in the coming weeks and a hotline had been opened for the public to report any apprehensive activity. He also urged the Australian populace that despite the rise on the national counter-terrorism alert level, normal life in Australia can and must go on.
Security officials believed that the terrorist groups are presently conscripting from the ranks of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq and say the current risk valuation curtail from the threat posed by sole actors on the local periphery of networks rather than the prospect of a Bali-style mass fatality incident.
There have been a six fold increase in Australia's national counter-terrorism investigation over the past twelve months and over 50 passports have been cancelled over the same period. Australia's National Terrorism Public Alert System has remained at medium since 2003, when the four-level system was introduced.
Meanwhile, Australia has reiterated its inclination to consider joining US-led airstrikes in Iraq or provision of military advisers after US President Barack Obama sworn to enlist an extensive coalition partners to target the ISIS militants.
Tony Abbott has also inveterate that he will visit New York in two weeks to take part in an advanced meeting of the UN Security Council summoned by Obama to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. He said that it is important to Australia and to the world that ISIS will be defeated and that he fully supports Obama's call for action and Australia will work with global partners to fight the evil menace caused by the ISIS.
Even though no imminent attacks threats, Australia's national counter-terrorism alert level is set to high, and it is expected that the nation's security will be much tighter.
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