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Hundreds of police have carried out pre-dawn raids across Sydney in the nation's biggest counter-terrorism operation. Fairfax Media understands police will allege planning had begun to kidnap a random person from the streets of Sydney's CBD, behead them and drape them in the Islamic State flag. Follow all the latest news as it develops.
As the day is coming to an end, so is this blog. Here's a re-cap of the major developments following Thursday morning's anti-terrorism raids across Sydney:
- Fairfax Media understands police will allege that planning had begun to kidnap a random person from the streets of Sydney's CBD, behead them and drape them in the Islamic State flag.
- An intercepted phone call triggered the raids across Sydney.
At the protest in Lakemba tonight, Uthman Badar from Hizb ut-Tahrir said it was no coincidence that the raids had occurred just before the latest terrorism laws were to be introduced into parliament next week.
"They are creating fear and hysteria to justify the unjustifiable," he said
"Enough of scapegoating the Muslim community."
A youth whose family was raided today also spoke but did not give his name. He described how the police had broken down the door early in the morning.
"I woke up to my mother screaming. This pig, this man, he tried to take the blanket off my mother when she was dressed like any woman would dress for her husband."
He said they didn't even knock on their door - they simply broke it down.
Reporter Anne Davies says there are about 400 people attending the rally, organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir at Lakemba Railway Station.
Wassim Doureihi, one of the organisation's prominent members, told the crowd that the community was deeply upset by the raids.
"What would be your reaction if your home was raided and your women dishonoured?" he said.
A 24-year-old man from Merrylands has also been charged following today's anti-terrorism raids, NSW Police said in a statement.
He was charged with possessing ammunition without a licence and unauthorised possession of a prohibited weapon. He was granted bail and will appear in Fairfield Local Court on September 24.
Nine other people detained have now been released as investigations continue.
Two women were issued Future Court Attendance Notices.
The alleged plot to behead a member of the public in Sydney has been compared to the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in England.
Rigby was hacked to death in Woolwich in south London. Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, hit him with a car and then attacked him with large knives, nearly decapitating him with a meat cleaver.
Crowds of people have gathered in Lakemba to protest against Thursday morning's raids.
A former Kings Cross bouncer now fighting with Islamic State is accused of encouraging Australians to carry out gruesome terrorist attacks on Sydney's streets.
Mohammad Baryalei, the most senior member of ISIL in Australia, was also an aspiring actor, appearing in the television series Underbelly: The Golden Mile.
In light of the protest set to begin in Lakemba in a matter of minutes, Tom Allard reports that "allegations of brutal tactics by counter-terrorism authorities and anti-Islam attacks on social media have sparked a wave of apprehension among Australia's Muslim community".
He also details two allegations of mistreatment by police during the raids.
Maywand Osman, who was detained during the raids but not arrested, said he raised his hands when confronted in the early hours of the morning and "four officers then jumped at me and one punched me in the face".