Australian state parliament evacuated over suspicious package

Hundreds of employees at New South Wales (NSW) state parliament in Sydney were evacuated earlier on Monday, following the discovery of a suspicious package in the area.

A NSW police spokesperson said the item located was inspected by specialist officers and rendered safe.

"A number of evacuations were carried out as a precaution, however all people have now been allowed to return to the area," NSW police said.

Police officers arrested a man believed to be in his 30s in Sydney following the incident and he was assisting police with their inquiries.

Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since September 2014.

The Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) in Sydney has charged a number of people in relation to Operation Appleby.

According to the police, Operation Appleby is an ongoing operation investigating persons suspected of being involved in domestic acts of terrorism, foreign incursions into Syria and Iraq and the funding of terrorist organizations. Endit