Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday Israeli intelligence services had prevented the downing of an “Australian airliner” as part of wide-ranging international intelligence-sharing but gave no details.
His comments, during a speech in Jerusalem to US Jewish leaders, followed a statement from the Israeli army that a branch of military intelligence known as “Unit 8200” had foiled an “aerial attack abroad by Islamic State”.
Israeli media said the army statement referred to an attempted bombing in July of an Etihad Airways flight due to leave Sydney for Abu Dhabi, which was foiled by Australian security forces before the plane took off.
An Australian man had sent his brother to Sydney Airport to catch the flight carrying a home-made bomb disguised as a meat-mincer, built at the direction of a senior Islamic State commander, Australian police said.
He caught the flight without his checked baggage after it was rejected at a Sydney Airport check-in counter because it was too heavy.
He then travelled to Lebanon, the Lebanese interior minister said.
Australian authorities have suggested he had no idea he was to have carried a bomb.