Australia’s terrorism threat level has been raised from possible to probable.

The threat level has been raised due to an increased risk of politically motivated violence.

While it has not been raised due to one specific incident, it’s understood there have been multiple incidents in Australia investigated by security officials for possible terrorism links.

The conflict in the Middle East is also understood to have exacerbated concerns by security agencies about politically motivated violence in Australia, although it is not the direct cause of the threat level rising.

It’s the first time the threat level has been raised since 2014 during the height of threats from the terrorist group Islamic State.

This post was originally published on Michael West.