Australia Raises Terror Threat Level to High For the First Time in a Decade

Australia raised its terror threat level from "medium" to "high" for the first time in a decade in the wake of Australians fighting with the Islamic State (IS) and the possibility of the country taking part in the U.S.-led coalition against the Sunni militant group in Iraq and Syria.

The heightened alert officially means a "terrorist attack is likely", Channel News Asia reports. Australia's authorities stated that even though they did not have any information about a specific attack plan, there was an increased probability of the same.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Attorney-General George Brandis, outgoing ASIO Director-General David Irvine and assistant Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin.

"We have no specific intelligence of particular plots. What we do have is intelligence that there are people with the intent and the capability to mount attacks," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at a press conference in Melbourne, Sky News reports.

Colvin asked the public to be more cautious, but suggested that they must continue to go about their business normally, Financial Review reports.

For a long time, Australian authorities have been worried about the number of its citizens thought to be fighting with the Islamic groups in the Mid-East. Some instances include a suicide bomber who killed three in Baghdad in July, and images of two men holding severed heads of Syrian soldiers on a social networking site.

Australia will tighten security measures at airports, ports, military bases, government buildings and large public events. "I also want people to be reassured that we do have highly capable security and intelligence service ... highly capable police forces right around the country,' Prime Minister Abbott said.

Irvine, however, flagged the prospect of lifting the threat level on Tuesday, Reuters reports.