A caravan of explosives was found in greater Sydney. Here’s what we know so far

More than 100 counterterrorism police are investigating after the discovery was made earlier this month

A caravan has been found laden with explosives at a residential property in greater Sydney, with police saying there were indications the explosives would be used in an antisemitic attack.

New South Wales police have said that the incident is an “escalation” and the explosives have the potential to cause a “great deal of damage”.

Here’s what we know so far:

1. Police said they were contacted on 19 January about a caravan found in Dural, in greater Sydney.

   Explosives were discovered in the caravan. There was also an indication the explosives might be used in “some form of antisemitic attack”, with police saying a list of location targets used by the Jewish community was found in the caravan.

   The Jewish community has been made aware of the targets.

2. Police said the van is believed to have contained enough explosives to create a 40-metre blast zone. Police believe the explosives were powergel – an emulsion-based explosive – and were potentially obtained from a mining site.

3. Police said arrests have been made “on the periphery” of the incident. NSW deputy police commissioner David Hudson also said the incident may be linked to some people already charged for their alleged involvement in the spate of recent antisemitic attacks.

   “We believe there is some connection between some of the targets we’ve charged under Strike Force Pearl, and this particular investigation,” he said.

   Ten people have been arrested and charged so far under the Strike Force Pearl operation in relation to antisemitic and anti-Israel vandalism and arson attacks in Sydney over the past two months.

   Hudson was asked on Wednesday if the investigation involved paid criminals, after the AFP revealed last week it was investigating whether “paid actors” were behind some recent antisemitic attacks.

   “We can’t speculate about what happened until we actually investigate that,” he said, adding that one of the “main lines of inquiry” was who placed the caravan and who “may have orchestrated” the placement.

   He said police did not know what the alleged perpetrators’ ideological motivator was, but nothing was being ruled out at this point.

   “We [will] pursue everything until we get to the truth,” he said.

4. New South Wales premier Chris Minns said a “massive” response has been mobilised to investigate the incident, comprising the NSW police, the Australian federal police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the New South Wales Crime Commission.

   The response includes 100 counter-terrorism officers, as well as scores of officers from operations Pearl and Shelter.

   Minns said: “This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event.”

   “There’s only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism. That’s what we’re very worried about. This would strike terror into the community, particularly the Jewish community, and it must be met with the full resources of the government.”

5. Police have said the matter is not yet being treated as a terrorist incident. Police have also said there is no ongoing threat to the community in relation to the caravan.