Australian State launches specialist counter-terrorism unit to combat juvenile extremists

SYDNEY, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The New South Wales (NSW) State Government in Australian Wednesday introduced a new counter-terrorism unit that will focus solely on radicalised young people.

Operating within Juvenile correctional facilities, the Countering Violent Extremism Unit is tasked with identifying and monitoring detainees that are of "high risk."

The move comes in the wake of a string of incidents that have shocked the nation in recent years.

In 2015, a 15 year-old schoolboy shot and killed a police accountant in a terror attack during daylight hours in Sydney's western suburbs.

One year prior, an 18-year-old stabbed two police officers on the outskirts of Melbourne before being shot dead.

According to Police several more attacks have also been prevented or thwarted over the past number of years.

Under the new regime, those given a "National Security Interest designation" will be monitored and face restrictions on mail, phone calls and visitors.

As part of the strategy, detainees will also undergo groundbreaking de-radicalisation programs, which are the first of their kind to be implemented in Australia.

Meanwhile frontline staff within the justice system will receive new training to assess and gather intelligence on extremist detainees.

"We have the most robust counter-terrorism arrangements in the country and this new strategy complements other initiatives such as our post-sentence detention scheme and stronger parole provisions," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"We must ensure young children who are exposed to radicalisation are given counselling and a pathway back to life in the community." Enditem