Authorities arrested and charged two men from Sydney’s west with planning to launch an imminent terrorist attack.  Police say they seized a homemade flag with the logo of Islamic State (IS), as well as a machete and a hunting knife.

Some media reports claimed that Omar Al-Kutobi and Mohammad Kiad were allegedly plotting to abduct and behead a victim.  Authorities were not that specific, but NSW Premier Mike Baird called the alleged plot “beyond disturbing”, and that “something catastrophic was avoided”.  The two men, aged 24- and 25-years old, were arrested at a Fairfield address and are charged with undertaking acts in preparation or planning for a terrorist act. 

“What we are going to allege is consistent with the IS messaging,” said New South Wales state Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn.  “We believe that the men were potentially going to harm somebody, maybe even kill somebody, and potentially using one of the items that we identified and recovered yesterday.”

If convicted, each faces life in prison.  Neither man appeared in court for the initial proceeding; their lawyers didn’t ask for bail and none was granted.