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MELBOURNE - A security expert has warned more than 20 homegrown terrorists could be at large in the Australian community waiting to launch a major attack.
The Bulletin magazine says security agencies have identified at least 20 "jihadis" who could be plotting an attack, as Australia prepares to host the Apec summit of world leaders in Sydney in September.
"It's possible there's even more. In the state we find ourselves at the moment, there's no question that ASIO and the AFP (Australian Federal Police) are looking at all possible leads in relation to homegrown terrorists," security expert Neil Fergus told the Nine Network.
"If you juxtapose it with the UK, the reality is they're looking at 160 different suspected cells.
"The number is probably quite manageable given the additional resources that have been put into the AFP and ASIO in the last five years.
"Equally, the federal government has committed over $A170 million ($NZ190 million) to Apec preparations, of which $A80 million has gone to NSW police to augment current capabilities.
"There is a great deal going on behind the scenes both at the federal level and state government level."
Twenty-one world leaders - including US President George W Bush and Russian leader Vladimir Putin - are scheduled to attend the two-day summit on September 8-9.
Mr Fergus said all preparations that had gone into planning Apec in recent years were geared towards deterring terrorists, who would be forced to look for less obvious targets.
"The reality is, when you look at an Olympic Games and Apec summit, the overlay of security is so immense these days it is a significant deterrent to terrorists and they are looking for softer targets," he said.
"The small US embassies in east Africa, the bank in Istanbul, these types of targets have a natural attraction.
"One of the key elements is they want to succeed and, notwithstanding suicide attacks, they want to get away."
- AAP
