Australian police are treating the arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne as a terrorist attack, Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton said on Monday, December 9. The Australian Counter Terrorism Bureau will join the investigation.

The fire at Adass Israel, one of Australia's largest synagogues, occurred in the early morning of December 6. Witnesses told law enforcement officers that they saw several masked arsonists pouring flammable liquid on the walls and doors of the building. As a result of the fire, one person was injured, and the synagogue building was significantly damaged.

Following the incident, Melbourne police increased patrols in Jewish areas of the city. At the moment, work is underway to establish the identities of three suspects in the arson, Commissioner Patton said.