Australian police say they are working closely with Lebanese authorities on an investigation into an alleged plot to blow up a plane departing Sydney Airport but have refused to explain conflicting reports on how the conspiracy unfolded.
Lebanese Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk says four Lebanese brothers - three living in Sydney and one an Islamic State commander in Syria - were involved in the plot.
Mr Machnouk, speaking in Beirut overnight, suggested Amer Khayat was to have knowingly carried out the attack on a flight bound for Abu Dhabi in mid-July, according to Reuters.
Australian Federal Police have said a bomb was hidden in a meat grinder and the interior minister on Monday said another device was in a large child's doll in luggage which wasn't checked in because it was too heavy.
AFP deputy commissioner Michael Phelan in early August said an unnamed Khayat brother had no idea he was to carry an improvised explosive device on the flight.
But Mr Machnouk said a Lebanese internal intelligence agency had found Amer Khayat was "involved in the operation".
Khaled Khayat, 49, from Lakemba and Mahmoud Khayat, 32, of Punchbowl, have each been charged with two counts of acting in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act.
The Lebanese interior minister said another brother, Tareq Khayat, had moved to the IS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria and become a commander in the jihadist group more than a year ago.
Asked whether the Sydney-based operation would have been successful if the luggage hadn't exceeded the weight limit, Mr Machnouk replied: "Probably, yes."
But in early August the AFP said the bomb wouldn't have made it onto the Etihad airliner.
Authorities had created a mock IED to test the airport's security and it was detected with "100 per cent success", Mr Phelan said at the time.
Mr Machnouk says Lebanon monitored the Khayat brothers for over a year and co-ordinated with the Australian government on the investigation for a long time.
It's previously been suggested Australian authorities only knew of the plot after the event when they were tipped off by foreign intelligence services.
Asked on Tuesday about the discrepancies the AFP said: "We are aware of the comments made overnight by the Lebanese interior minister."
"We have a close and cooperative relationship with the Lebanese authorities and are working closely on this investigation," a spokeswoman said in a statement.
"We continue to consider all information in relation to this investigation."
Commonwealth Attorney-General George Brandis issued a very similar statement and said: "As this is an ongoing investigation no comment will be made on matters of detail."
Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester, who has primary responsibility for Australia's airports, told Sky News: "The bottom line is we work very closely with our security partners around the world."
Mr Machnouk says Amer Khayat arrived in Lebanon on July 15, which is the day Australian police allege the plotters tried to smuggle a bomb onto the Sydney to Abu Dhabi flight.
The interior minister did not say what's happened to him.
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