3 Australian men charged with terrorism over mosque fires

Melbourne, August 20 : Australian police have charged three men with committing terrorist acts on suspicion of starting fires at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Melbourne last year, inspired by Islamic State and intending to divide the Muslim community.
Two of the men are already in custody and awaiting trial on suspicion of plotting bomb attacks in Australia’s second largest city last year, while a third – a 29-year-old Melbourne man – was arrested late on Saturday.
All three face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment over the arson attack at the Imam Ali Islamic Centre in December 2016.
Australian Federal Police’s counter terrorism national manager said that attacking a place of worship had no place in society.
“It is clear that these arson attacks were designed to intimidate and influence those that attend this mosque and the wider Islamic community,” Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said on Sunday.Australia, a staunch U.S. ally that has sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, has been on heightened alert since 2014 for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, or their supporters.
While there have been several “lone wolf” attacks, officials say 13 significant plots have been foiled in that time.Police say the three men were adherents of militant Sunni Muslim ideology. Police said the arrest of the man on Saturday came after extensive investigations into fires at the Melbourne mosque – but said it did not relate to any direct threat to the community.