Experts warn Australia a 'perfect' target for new 'ghost proxy' Islamist terror network

Australia would be the "perfect" target for a fledgling Islamist terror network that has carried out multiple antisemitic attacks in Europe, the United Kingdom and Canada, experts have warned. 

Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, or HAYI, first emerged online in March and has so far professed to be behind about 20 acts of violence against Jewish people, buildings and symbols.

Authorities in the United States, and experts in multiple countries, have identified numerous connections between HAYI and Iran.

But this group behaves differently to the Islamic Republic's chief militant proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and established jihadi organisations elsewhere, such as Islamic State and Al Qaeda.

HAYI has been described as a "ghost proxy" for Iran. Unlike other groups, it does not have a strict hierarchy or use ideologically motivated operatives for attacks.

Instead, it has a more fluid structure, where local criminals are recruited to carry out antisemitic missions.

The first attack HAYI claimed was an explosion outside a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège on March 9. More recently, the group declared it had been behind an April 29 stabbing in north-west London, in which two Jewish men were seriously injured.

Guy Fiennes is a research analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an independent not-for-profit that aims to safeguard democracies against extremism. He describes HAYI as a "ghost proxy" directed by a "hostile state".

Instead of spending time and resources training militants, it recruits petty criminals and offers them money to carry out its attacks. Flexible work arrangements like this are often referred to as the "gig economy", and Mr Fiennes argues that term now extends to terrorism.

"We know this network is linked to Iran and its proxies," Mr Fiennes said. "Most of the perpetrators of these attacks appear to be financially motivated, and some of them claimed not to know who they were ultimately working for."

Initially, HAYI used the encrypted messaging service Telegram to publicise its activities, but the platform has since taken the group's channel down.

"I think foreign governments should be concerned about the phenomenon, and the idea other groups might look at it and think, 'OK, this tactic works. Let's copy it,'" Mr Fiennes said.

While the network has claimed responsibility for about 20 attacks, some experts warn it could be trying to inflate its influence by taking credit for crimes it had nothing to do with.

Alleged HAYI 'terrorist commander' arrested

On May 15, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it had arrested and charged a man who allegedly "planned, coordinated and claimed responsibility" for 18 HAYI attacks in Europe and the UK, as well as two in Canada.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Sawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national with alleged links to Tehran-backed paramilitary organisations — including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — appeared in the US District Court in New York facing six terrorism-related offences.

The IRGC reports directly to Iran's supreme leader and is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia and the US.

"Thanks to the dedication and vigilance of law enforcement, this alleged terrorist commander is now in US custody," acting US Attorney-General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

The 32-year-old has also been accused of plotting to bomb synagogues in various locations around the US, and of explaining his plan to an undercover FBI officer.

The DOJ alleges HAYI is a front for Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed, Iraq-based paramilitary group. It claims Al-Saadi is a senior member of Kata'ib Hezbollah.

Antisemitism has been in the spotlight in many Western nations in the past three years, including Australia, where multiple attacks have been linked to Iran.

Julian Lanchès, a research fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, said Australia was an obvious target for HAYI.

"Iran has operated in Australia before, and we know that Iran is behind HAYI, so Australia works perfectly," he said.

"This group's attacks are getting so much attention. People are puzzled. The Jewish community is in fear.

"It seems to be an extremely successful hybrid terrorism operation. Given that, it could be that this group is considering taking it elsewhere, like Australia or the United States."

After 15 Jewish people were murdered and dozens more injured in a mass shooting at Bondi Beach late last year, the Albanese government announced a royal commission into antisemitism.

That attack has not been linked to HAYI, which has so far claimed less deadly events. For example, the group says it was behind a March arson attack on four ambulances in London belonging to the Jewish-run emergency medical service Hatzolah.

That same month, a 17-year-old boy was arrested outside the Bank of America headquarters, in Paris, attempting to ignite a homemade bomb.

It has been alleged HAYI recruited the suspect via the social media app Snapchat, and offered him 600 euros ($980) to carry out the operation.

"Basically, this is a new model of recruiting, where single-use agents are signed up online and offered money," Mr Lanchès said.

"Right now, there's limited evidence to tell us exactly what HAYI is and how it works, but we definitely need to take this seriously."