Fifteen people have been arrested in Australia in what police describe as an anti-terrorism operation.
Police may have disrupted "the final stages of a terrorist attack" that could have been "catastrophic". 400 officers had been involved in raids on 15 homes in the Sydney area, arresting 6 men.
"They are currently being interviewed by police and my expectation is that those persons variously will appear in Sydney courts this morning," said source in police.
Melbourne police said another nine were arrested there. In Melbourne, Victoria state police chief Christine Nixon said the operation, carried out with federal police, was "the largest operation of counterterrorism that`s ever been conducted in this country and its taken us a long period of time".
A federal police spokesman said some of those arrested had already been charged with being a member of a terrorist organization.
Just two days ago the government gave police greater anti-terrorist powers.
Australia amended its anti-terror legislation to make it easier for police to prosecute suspects believed to be involved in the early stages of planning attacks. Prime Minister John Howard said he had received credible intelligence of a "terrorist threat".
Opposition parties accused him of exaggerating the danger. Australia is a key ally of the US in its "war on terror", and has sent troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There has never been a terrorist attack on Australian soil, although 88 Australians died in the first Bali bombings, and its embassy in Indonesia was bombed in 2004.