Afghan Australians were planning to kidnap and behead random members of the public in Sydney and Brisbane in support of the Islamic State (IS) group in the Middle East, senior law enforcement sources have told the ABC.
Police allege Mohammad Ali Baryalei, who has been identified as the most senior Australian member of IS, instructed 22-year-old Sydney man Omarjan Azari to carry out the attacks.
Random members of the public were to be snatched off the street and beheaded on camera, with the recording then released by IS.
Azari, who was one of 15 people detained in huge police raids across Sydney and Brisbane this morning, has faced court charged with conspiracy to prepare for a terrorist attack.