Police swoop in Melbourne anti-terror raids

Kevin Rudd speaks to the Special Operations Task Group at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney in 2007. The barracks is understood to have been the target of a suicide plot by Islamic extremists. Photo / Getty Images

A suspected suicide terrorist cell reportedly plotting to attack Sydney's Holsworthy Army Barracks and other Australian defence bases, has been foiled in widespread counter-terrorism raids across Melbourne.

A joint operation involving federal and Victorian police swooped on several homes, making a number of a arrests early today.

About 400 police were used to execute 19 search warrants about 4.30am (6.30am NZST), but the exact number of arrests is not yet known.

Home in the northern Melbourne suburbs of Glenroy, Meadow Heights, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Westmeadows, Preston and Epping were raided by police. They also entered homes at Carlton in inner Melbourne and Colac in south-western Victoria.

The counter-terrorism operation involved officers from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, NSW Police and the NSW Crime Commission.

"Police believe members of a Melbourne-based group have been undertaking planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Australia and allegedly involved in hostilities in Somalia," a joint police statement said.

Further details are expected in a police press conference in Melbourne this morning.

Meanwhile, News Ltd said national security agencies had uncovered a plot by Islamic extremists to launch a suicide attack on an Australian army base, which was understood to be Holsworthy Barracks on Sydney's western outskirts, and others.

It said the plot involved a suspected terrorist cell of Australian nationals of Somali and Lebanese backgrounds and was believed to be inspired by the Somalia-based terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which had connections with al-Qaeda.

- AAP