Australian police have arrested three men who they allege were plotting to commit a terror attack in Melbourne.
The group had been attempting to source a semi-automatic rifle to kill as many people as possible in a crowded place.
The suspects aged 21, 26 and 30 were allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton however said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
“They were certainly looking at a place of mass gathering, where there would be crowds, because they were trying to focus on trying to have a place where they could kill as many people as possible,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, a knife-wielding attacker killed one man and injured two others in Melbourne in what police said was a terror attack.
Mr Ashton said the suspects arrested on Tuesday had become “more energised” in the past week, but it was unclear whether this was due to increased public discussion about terrorism.
