In an unexpected turn of events, a group of seven men from Melbourne found themselves at the center of a dramatic police operation in Sydney. On Thursday, as they journeyed towards Bondi Beach, heavily-armed officers intercepted their vehicle, bringing traffic to a standstill in Sydney’s south-west.

The operation unfolded during peak-hour, as two unmarked police 4WDs collided with a white hatchback. The incident took place at the bustling intersection of George and Campbell streets in Liverpool at around 5pm.

In footage that captured the intensity of the moment, officers from the Counter Terrorism unit and the Public Order and Riot Squad, clad in camouflage gear, swiftly moved in to arrest the men. The dramatic scene saw the individuals lined up against a brick wall, with five of them handcuffed on the sidewalk.

Amidst the chaos, one man required a gurney to be transported from the scene, and a sixth man was apprehended in a nearby laneway, adding to the tense atmosphere.

NSW Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson shed some light on the situation in an interview with 2GB radio on Friday. “I think we will see as the day plays out, a clearer picture of what was potentially going to occur yesterday,” he stated, hinting at more details to emerge as the investigation progresses.

‘I think we will see as the day plays out, a clearer picture of what was potentially going to occur yesterday,’ NSW Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson told 2GB radio on Friday.

‘I can confirm no firearms or weapons were located at a vehicle stop, so I think that supports the decision to go early before any potential weapons could be obtained by this crew.

‘Our threshold or our tolerance for threat and risk is very low at the moment. If we receive information that any type of criminality or violent act is about to be committed, we will act.’

Tactical officers arrested a group of men in Liverpool

NSW Police issued an alert to stay out of the area at about 5pm on Thursday

A white hatchback was rammed by undercover police 4WD vehicles

Five men were arrested at intersection of George and Campbell streets

‘Police responded to information received that a violent act was possibly being planned,’ NSW Police said in a statement on Friday. 

‘Police subsequently intercepted two cars as part of the investigation. As investigations continue, seven men are assisting police with their inquiries.

‘At this point in time, police have not identified any connection to the current police investigation of the Bondi terror attack.’

Police have not identified any connection to the ongoing investigation into the Bondi terror attack. The motive of the men remains unclear.

Health Minister Mark Butler praised the efforts of police as ‘extraordinary’.

‘They are extraordinary images,’ Butler told Nine’s Today show on Friday.

‘And they remind us that while we’re all mourning, while the nation’s trying to come to grips with what happened on Sunday night, our policing intelligence authorities are still working day and night to keep our country safe from any further threats of violence and harm.’

Stunned witnesses reported seeing a police LandCruiser ram a white Hyundai with Victorian number plates, which was carrying the men. 

One of the men was taken from the scene on a stretcher

Counter Terrorism, NSW Police Public Order and Riot Squad officers rushed to the scene

Heavily armed officers at the scene

Businesses surrounding the incident, including a medical centre, were locked down.

The incident is just days after the Bondi Beach massacre, with Australia still reeling and on high alert. 

Officials say alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid, 50, fired shots into a crowd as people screamed and ran for cover on Sunday evening.

Fifteen people were killed in the attack, with 25 others treated in hospital.

The attack has been classified by Australian authorities as a terrorist incident, with investigators treating it as a targeted antisemitic assault.

The massacre unfolded during a public Hanukkah event.

One of the alleged attackers was shot dead by police at the scene. The second was critically wounded and taken into custody. 

According to Australian officials, the men appear to have been motivated by Islamic State ideology. Cops also said they found ‘homemade’ Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices in a car used by the suspects. 

A 10-year-old girl named Matilda (left) was the youngest victim of Sunday’s tragedy while British-born Eli Schlanger (right) was another victim

Relatives were seen breaking down in tears as they laid Schlanger to rest yesterday

The youngest victim of the attack was a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, who was shot in the stomach in front of her little sister. 

Hundreds of people gathered to pay their last respects to her as she was laid to rest during an emotional funeral on Thursday.

Yesterday, British-born rabbi Eli Schlanger’s relatives were seen breaking down in tears as they bid an emotional farewell to him. He was praised as being a ‘mentor to his colleagues and friends.’

After the attacks, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, vowed to introduce harsher gun control laws. 

The country already has one of the strictest sets of rules surrounding firearms in the world. 

The PM also said there will be new legislation to crack down on hate across the country. Those laws, he said, will target people ‘who spread hate, division, and radicalisation’. 

The country’s Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, also said Australia would be ‘shifting the threshold’ on what can be described as hate speech. 

Two civilians were praised by Australians and lawmakers for confronting the alleged gunmen during the attack. 

One of the men, Ahmed Al-Ahmed, was seen wrestling a rifle from the hands of one of the alleged shooters. 

Another was seen kicking a gun away from another alleged attacker before he was set upon by a crowd who mistook him for one of the gunmen. 

Arsen Ostrovsky, who was celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach with his family was wounded in the attack

Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns both hailed civilians who intervened during the attack, describing their actions as heroic and potentially life-saving.

Heroic lifeguards who ran in the direction of gunfire to administer first aid were also praised for their bravery. 

Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Krissy Barrett, confirmed that the surviving alleged shooter had been charged with 59 offences. 

She also said further search warrants would be executed within days to help with the investigations. 

Meanwhile, the government announced an immediate support package to help victims, their families, and small businesses who have been impacted by the massacre. 

According to Albanese’s office, it will provide financial assistance and ‘expanded victim support services’ to recognise the ‘profound emotional, social, and economic toll of the attack’.