Australia raises terror threat level to high
Travellers to Australia are being warned of tighter security at airports, ports and large public events as the country’s terror threat level was raised to high for the first time in its history.
It is the first time Australia has moved from medium to high since the threat level system was introduced in 2003.
High is the second highest level and means an attack is likely. The highest level, extreme, means an attack is imminent or has occurred.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said security agencies have raised the alert based on ‘an accumulation of indicators’.
The move comes in response to growing concern about the number of Australians ‘working with, connected to or inspired by’ Islamist groups amid militant conflicts in Iraq and Syria, he said.
But he stressed that there was no specific intelligence of particular plots against the country.
“What we do have is intelligence that there are people with the intent and capability to mount attacks here in Australia," he said.
He said although the alert would not be noticeable in daily life, people would notice more security at airports, ports, military bases, government buildings and large public events.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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