A man arrested in India has confessed to planning suicide attacks in Britain, Australia's foreign minister said today.
Mr Alexander Downer said Australian authorities were aware a man arrested in Bombay last month had confessed to planning attacks in Australia and Britain. The suspect's nationality was not known.
"He has done pilot training apparently in Australia and in Britain so presumably the type of suicide attack he was contemplating was using aircraft," Mr Downer said.
"But whether of course he would have ever gone ahead with it, one doesn't know, but the Indian authorities are taking it seriously".
The man was arrested on suspicion of being linked with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, the target of the US-led coalition on the ground in Afghanistan, which includes British and Australian troops.
Mr Downer said there was no reason to think his claims were a hoax.
"I gather he confessed to planning suicide attacks in Australia or in Britain or one or two other countries, so it does underline the point that we need to take our security very seriously," he said.
AP