Australian authorities say they’ve foiled a potential “mass casualty” attack with the discovery of a trailer packed with explosives in northwest Sydney, and “an indication” it was to be used against targets in the Jewish community following a spate of antisemitic incidents.

Australian police believe explosives found on Sydney’s outskirts were evidence of a deadly escalation in a campaign of antisemitic arson and graffiti crimes that has been waged in major cities for months.

The explosives located in a caravan could have caused a 'potential mass casualty event', authorities have said.