7 arrested in Sydney subscribe to extremist ideology: police

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7 arrested in Sydney subscribe to extremist ideology: police

2025-12-19 16:38 Last Updated At：18:17

Seven men who were arrested in southwest Sydney on Thursday over alleged plans to commit a violent act have ideological links to the perpetrators of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia, police said on Friday.

They were arrested by heavily armed tactical operations officers in the suburb of Liverpool, 28 kilometers southwest of central Sydney, on Thursday afternoon after police received information that a violent act was possibly being planned.

Speaking to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Friday morning, New South Wales (NSW) Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said that police believe the men have links to extremist ideology.

The allegation comes after two men, who authorities say were motivated by Islamic State (IS) ideology, opened fire on a crowd who had gathered to celebrate the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on Sunday night. Sixteen people, including one alleged gunman, were killed.

Hudson said that police have "some indication" that the group of seven men, who had traveled to Sydney from the neighboring state of Victoria, were planning to attend Bondi Beach.

He said that tactical officers had acted early to arrest the men before they could obtain any potential weapons.

Australia will hold a national "day of reflection" on the coming Sunday to honor the victims of the deadly terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach a week earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday.

Flags on all New South Wales and Australian government buildings will be flown at half-mast on Sunday, Albanese said.

Thailand closes over 1,000 schools near border amid armed clashes with Cambodia

Thailand has temporarily closed more than 1,000 schools in border areas following a new round of armed clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops along their shared border.

The Thai Ministry of Education ordered the suspension of classes on Friday in seven provinces bordering Cambodia, affecting a total of 1,060 schools, to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

Buriram Province is among the areas most affected by the renewed fighting, with more than 100 schools shut down. At local shelters, displaced residents, including children and teenagers, have sought refuge as fighting continues.

One girl said she had stayed in the shelter for 11-12 days already. "I moved here because of the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia," she said, adding that she could hear very loud gunfire at her home.

She said school won't be open until the clashes end, and she misses her classmates very much.

A teenage boy in the shelter expressed the same emotions.

"It's been 13 days since I moved here. I heard gunfires at home and I was so scared that I moved to the shelter. I want to return to school to study and see my friends," he said.

A displaced woman recalled her time in a shelter when border clashes between the two countries broke out earlier this year.

"I stayed in the shelter for a week when the last clashes broke out. This time I don't know how long I need to stay here before I can return home," she said.

Border clashes between the two sides reignited on Dec 7, less than two months after the two sides signed a joint peace declaration, with both sides trading the blame for instigating the attacks.