Police charge man in Sydney with planning to fight in Syria

SYDNEY, Australia – An Australian man was arrested at Sydney Airport on Thursday after five months of surveillance on suspicion of planning to fly to Syria to fight with Islamic State group militants, police said.

Moudasser Taleb, 22, took a taxi to the airport to buy a ticket to Turkey or Lebanon and was carrying military-style clothing when he was arrested, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said.

Police charged Taleb with preparing for an incursion into a foreign country to carry out violent acts. He faces a possible life prison sentence if convicted.

“We believe he was acting alone in this particular act and was radicalized by himself,” Hudson told reporters.

“We are alleging through online communication he was radicalized and then made a decision to travel overseas and fight for Islamic State,” he added.

Taleb is to appear in a Sydney court on Friday.