Aussie gov't appeals for public support in fight against terrorism

The Australian government has appealed to the public to combat the threat of terrorism, while it will also seek to fast-track new legislation to give counter-terror organizations more powers, the nation's Justice Minister said on Monday.

Following a terror-related knife attack in Sydney on Sunday, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the "lone wolf" face of terror in Australia was an emerging threat which not only requires legislation change, but also support from the general public.

Sunday's attack came less than a week after an online article published by Islamic State (IS) called for followers to "kill (Australians) in their backyards."

Keenan said the government has committed to introducing new legislation in the wake of the attack, but admitted more needed to be done to ensure the safety of all Australians.

"We'll be introducing legislation into the Parliament which is the latest iteration to update the legislation under which (counter-terror groups) operate," Keenan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

Keenan said while authorities have disrupted more than 10 terror attacks over the past two years, the government is calling on members of the community to play a part in preventing further lone wolf attacks.

"These are enormous challenges and of course one of the things we do need to rely on is intelligence. That is very important that we continue to get intelligence from the community in particular," Keenan said.

Keenan said security and counter-terror bodies would also be given more resources to deal with terror threats on domestic soil. Endit