Sydney church stabbing ‘religiously motivated’, ASIO boss says

Director-General Mike Burgess, speaking alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, said that ASIO, as part of the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, would support the investigation into the attack.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed during a service at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm overnight.

Father Isaac Royel was also injured. Both men are believed to be undergoing surgery today.

Parishioners apprehended a 16-year-old who is now in police custody, but the incident sparked fury in the community with a large crowd gathering outside the church, surging rapidly from about 50 to 500 people. It was initially reported that the teen was 15-years-old.

Two police were injured, one suffering a broken jaw.

Upwards of 100 police and more than 30 police vehicles swarmed the area, including specialist officers and the police helicopter.

Burgess said that at this time, there was no indication of any ongoing threat to the public, and that the terror alert level would not be raised.

“(The stabbing) does appear to be religiously motivated but we continue our lines of investigation,” he said.

Albanese called for Australians to remain calm, as he offered his condolences to those affected both by last night’s attack, and the deadly stabbing spree in Bondi Junction on the weekend.

“I understand that people are feeling uneasy, and that’s understandable, given the atrocity that occurred on Saturday and then this incident last night,” Albanese said.

“And part of us standing up here is to reassure the public that the authorities are doing their work. I have every faith in the NSW Police, in the Australian Federal Police, in our security agencies, to do their work. We will provide them with every support.”