Anti-terror units foiled the Sydney plane plot after an alleged terrorist repeatedly used the same excuse as to why he was flying to the Middle East, Lebanese authorities say.
Amer Khayet allegedly told security he was flying to his hometown of Tripoli, not far from the Syrian border, for his wedding.
Lebanese officials discovered a pattern in the Sydney-based man’s reasons for travel, learning he had made the same claims of flying home for his wedding several times before, The Australian claimed.
Forces reportedly found that Amer would marry, then soon after get divorced. This process was allegedly repeated multiple times before he was questioned at Beirut Airport in July, when the plot was unearthed.
Amer Khayet told security he was flying to his hometown of Tripoli, not far from the Syrian border, for his wedding
Lebanese officials allegedly discovered a pattern in the Sydney-based man’s reasons for travel, learning he had made the same claims of flying home for his wedding several times before
Conversations between Amer, his older brother and ISIS Commander Tarek, and two brothers back in Sydney Mahmoud and Khaled, were reportedly being monitored for a year leading up to the arrests.
Lebanese intelligence claim they discovered the bomb plot while questioning Amer, who allegedly told them it had only failed because the explosives packed into a barbie doll and meat mincer had weighed 7kg too much to be checked in.
Amer allegedly informed them the barbie doll was a back-up to the larger meat mincer in case the bomb didn’t deploy.
Alleged conversations between Amer, his older brother and ISIS Commander Tarek, and two brothers back in Sydney Mahmoud and Khaled, were being monitored for a year leading up to the arrests
Amer allegedly informed them the barbie doll was a back-up to the larger meat mincer in case the bomb didn’t deploy (stock image)
Amer is currently being held in Roumieh prison near Beirut. Brothers Khaled, 49, and Mahmoud, 32, were charged following terror raids in Sydney on July 29
The plan was to detonate the bomb 20 minutes into Etihad flight EY455 from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, meaning the explosion would occur near Dubbo in central New South Wales. The attack was scheduled to occur at 9:40pm.
All 400 passengers aboard the flight would have been killed, and potentially further chaos on the ground as the debris from the exploded aircraft would scatter from 33,000 feet.
Amer is currently being held in Roumieh prison near Beirut.
Brothers Khaled, 49, and Mahmoud, 32, were charged following terror raids in Sydney on July 29.
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