Many Australia schools in lockdown over bomb threats

Media reports said the threats were likely to be hoaxes as none have been confirmed as genuine

A number of schools in Australia were put under lockdown and students evacuated after “numerous threats” made to them as they opened on Friday after the long Christmas holiday period, sparking multiple police operations.

Several schools in Sydney and Melbourne were evacuated and went into lockdown after receiving bomb threats.

Seven schools in New South Wales as well as schools in Penrith, Richmond, Mona Vale, Ambarvale, Woolooware, Ulladulla and Lake Illawarra were affected, according to the police.

The police said it launched operations in Victoria, after threatening phone calls were made to at least four schools.

“Police are aware of numerous threats made to schools in the Metropolitan and Southern Regions. Investigations are continuing, and police are liaising with the department of education,” a police statement read.

The NSW department of education statement said each school was taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its students and no students were in danger.

2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley said all of the threats were understood to be hoaxes, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report.

Meanwhile, the police raided two Melbourne homes in counter-terrorism operations, with reports on Friday linking them to an Australian man who appeared in an ISIS propaganda video in 2015.

The properties in the northern Melbourne suburbs of Craigieburn and Meadow Heights were raided on Thursday, the Australian federal police confirmed on Friday without giving further details as it was an “ongoing investigation”.

They belonged to the former wives of Mohomed Unais Mohomed Ameen, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, adding that he had appeared in a propaganda video promoting ISIS’ “health service” in Syria.

The 41-year-old — who was born in Sri Lanka according to the ABC — had reportedly claimed to be working in physiotherapy at an ISIS-run hospital and appeared on screen beside another Australian, Tareq Kamleh, in the footage uploaded to YouTube in April.

The raids by the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team came as Melbourne court documents reportedly alleged that an Australian teenager facing terror charges discussed stuffing a kangaroo with explosives, painting it with the ISIS group symbol and setting it loose on law enforcement authorities.