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Australia ramps up police presence at potential terror targets after Brussels attack

Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australia will ramp up its police presence at two major potential terror targets - sporting venues and airports - in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks.

Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews announced the traditional Australian Football League (AFL) season opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, contested by Richmond and Carlton, would have twice as many police as last year's fixture.

Andrews said the increase in police on the beat would flow through to other public events happening over the Easter weekend.

"These additional resources are ... all about keeping Victoria safe," Andrews told reporters on Thursday.

"(They) are there and the determination is there to ... never let these evil murderers win out."

The Premier said the state had no evidence that the string of attacks carried out on the Belgium capital's airport and rail network on Tuesday, which killed 34 people and injured another 270, would be repeated on Australian soil.

However, Andrews said Victoria needed to be vigilant and ensure "longstanding (safety) protocols were put in place."

The precautions will also be replicated across Australia's major airports over the four-day Easter holiday break.

On Wednesday, Prime Minster (PM) Malcolm Turnbull spoke to officials from the Australia Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Security and Intelligence Organization (ASIO) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) as well as several high-ranking cabinet members to discuss the implications of the Brussels attack.

On orders from the PM, the AFP has reportedly decided to put on extra security for inbound flights arriving from Europe - among other measures - in a bid to reassure the Australian public.

"Security measures at these airports are multi-layered and may involve armed mobile, canine and foot patrols, static guarding as well as specialist response armed capability," an AFP spokesman said in a statement published on Thursday.

"These measures are supplemented by targeted security activities in all areas of the airport environment. A range of technical measures such as extensive CCTV also support these security measures."

Identical safeguards were enacted after the Paris terror attacks in November last year in which 130 people died.

Australian airport security workers from around the country were due to go on strike this weekend, before they postponed the industrial action in light of the devastating attack in Brussels. Endit