Counter Terrorism team investigating Sydney church attack

The New South Wales (NSW) Joint Counter Terrorism Team is to investigate a church stabbing, which happened in the south-west of Sydney, Australia on Monday night.

POlice were called to a church in Wakeley at about 7.10 pm and found a 53-year-old man with head lacerations and a 39-year-old man with lacerations and a shoulder wound. Both were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

A 16-year-old boy was restrained by members of the public. He was arrested by police and taken to hospital, where he is under police guard.

NSW police commissioner Karen Webb has deemed the incident terror-related.

The JCTT investigation will be led by the NSW Police Force under Operation Kilchurn.

Public disorder followed the alleged stabbing, when a large crowd gathered outside the church. Two police officers were injured and there was damage to police vehicles. A constable was hit with a metal object and suffered a twisted knee and a chipped tooth, another received a broken jaw after being hit with a brick and fence paling. Both were taken to hospital for treatment.

Strike force Petrina has been established to investigate the stabbing and Strike Force Dribs has been established to investigate the public order incident and identify those involved.

The incident follows another stabbing in Sydney on Saturday in which six people were killed in a shopping centre. The two incidents are not being linked and the shopping centre attack is not being treated as terrorism.