Islamic State ordered 'demonstration killings' in Australia: PM

Sydney (AFP) - A series of anti-terror raids across Sydney and Brisbane were sparked by a senior Islamic State militant ordering "demonstration killings" in Australia, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday.

"The exhortations, quite direct exhortations, were coming from an Australian who is apparently quite senior in ISIL to networks of support back in Australia to conduct demonstration killings here in this country," he said.