Melbourne shooting: Officials name Abdul Numan Haider as man shot dead by anti-terrorist officers 
 
 Updated 
 
 Senior law enforcement officials have named the 18-year-old man who was shot dead after stabbing two officers from the Joint Counter Terrorism team outside a Melbourne police station last night. 
 
 Abdul Numan Haider was the "person of interest" who was expected to attend an interview at the Endeavour Hills Police Station when the incident occurred, senior law enforcement sources confirmed. 
 
 Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said Haider, who was under investigation and had his passport cancelled, was allegedly seen last week with an Islamic State (IS) flag. 
 
 "There's certainly information that he was present at the shopping centre in the last week or so with the flag that appeared to be an ISIS [Islamic State] flag," Chief Commissioner Lay said. 
 
 "It's not an offence but clearly it drew our attention to this person and we had a conversation with this person." 
 
 Haider, whose family are from Afghanistan, had also been associated with the radical Islamic group called Al-Furqan. 
 
 It is understood he had recently moved away from the group. 
 
 Based in Springvale, in Melbourne's south-east, associates of Al-Furqan were the targets of terrorism raids by Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police in 2012. 
 
 Australian Federal Police (AFP) Acting Commissioner Andrew Colvin said authorities had been monitoring Haider for three months. 
 
 "A range of factors that gave us concern about possibly his intentions and what he may do, but again it wasn't specific," he said. 
 
 "I want to reinforce to everybody that police, as we did last week, take early action to disrupt and intervene when we need to. 
 
 "On this occasion we made the decision that we needed to talk to him to understand a little more what his thoughts and motivations may be." 
 
 A close family friend of the Haider family, who did not want to be identified, said Haider's family had become increasingly concerned about his behaviour in recent months. 
 
 They had encouraged their son to seek professional help from a counsellor. 
 
 It is understood that authorities visited the family in May to discuss Haider's behaviour. 
 
 Last night, Haider's mother and father tried to prevent their son from leaving the house over concerns for his safety. 
 
 Despite their attempts, Haider left his Narre Warren home to meet with members of the Joint Counter Terrorism team who had requested a meeting at the Endeavour Hills Police Station. 
 
 It is believed Haider called police when he arrived at the station and told them he did not want to meet them inside the police station. 
 
 The two officers then went out to meet Haider and the altercation occurred. 
 
 Officers stabbed in arms, neck and head before shooting Haider 
 
 Chief Commissioner Lay said Haider attacked a police officer who tried to shake his hand outside the station, and then stabbed another officer, about 7:40pm (AEST) on Tuesday. 
 
 "When our police members have approached this young man, one's extended his hand to shake his hand and the response has been he's been stabbed in the arm," he said. 
 
 "The attacker's then turned on the second police member and stabbed him three or four times in the body and in the head. 
 
 "The first wounded member has then shot and killed the young man." 
 
 One of the injured officers is from the AFP and the other is a Victoria Police member, they were both rushed to hospital. 
 
 Chief Commissioner Lay said both police officers required surgery. 
 
 The ABC has been told that Haider had made threats against the Prime Minister, however Mr Colvin said no specific threats were made. 
 
 "This is early stages of an investigation ... What I will say is and what I can be very confident on is there were no specific threats made," he said. 
 
 Haider's car is parked at a childcare centre next to the police station and the area is locked down. 
 
 Natalie Morales, who works at the childcare centre, said staff were unable to contact parents this morning to tell them the facility was closed, because the contact lists were in the building. 
 
 "That can happen anywhere around Australia, unfortunately it happened next door to the childcare I work at," Ms Morales said. 
 
 "Even if it happened during the day, we have a pin code that only the staff and families know, so no-one can access the centre even if we had children in the centre." 
 
 Abbott speaks to family of injured officers 
 
 Speaking in Hawaii while en route to a UN Security Council meeting in New York, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the Melbourne incident was "nasty" and showed the threat from extremists was real. 
 
 "Obviously, this indicates that there are people in our community who are capable of very extreme acts," he said. 
 
 "It also indicates that the police will be constantly vigilant to protect us against people who would do us harm." 
 
 Mr Abbott said he had spoken to the wives of both police officers involved. 
 
 Chief Commissioner Lay said the stab wounds to the police officers were significant and required surgery, but that both officers were in a stable condition this morning. 
 
 "Our AFP colleague underwent surgery overnight for some significant injuries, he's come through that surgery it appears pretty well, he's in a serious but stable condition," Chief Commissioner Lay said. 
 
 "Our Victorian Police member has had quite a significant stab wound to his arm, I understand he'll undergo surgery today to repair some ligament and nerve damage. 
 
 "So the physical injuries will heal quick enough and obviously we need to think about the psychological stuff and give these people as much support as we possibly can." 
 
 Victorian Premier urges community to unite 
 
 Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said it was important that the incident did not divide the community. 
 
 "Let me make it very, very clear, one of the greatest strengths, one of the greatest assets we have here in Victoria is our harmonious, diverse, multi cultural, multi-faith community," Dr Napthine said. 
 
 Sorry, this video has expired Video: Commissioner Ken Lay and Vic Premier Denis Napthine address media (ABC News) 
 
 "We need to preserve and protect that. We need to enhance and build on that. 
 
 "We shouldn't let a single incident divide that. We need to show each other respect, be tolerant and remain united." 
 
 He said authorities were working together to ensure the safety of the community. 
 
 "It is imperative that we do all that we can to reassure all members of the Victorian community that everything is being done to protect our safety and making sure that our community continues to work together as a whole Victorian community," Dr Napthine said. 
 
 Islamic leaders criticise police investigation 
 
 Leaders of Melbourne's Islamic community have criticised police over their investigation into the fatal shooting. 
 
 Gaith Krayem from the Islamic Council of Victoria said police were quick to jump to conclusions. 
 
 "I was disappointed with the immediate press conference police held last night. It was held three hours after the event, and they drew conclusions immediately," Mr Krayem said. 
 
 "There needs to be a proper process as there always should be when police are involved in a fatality." 
 
 What we do know is that there's an 18-year-old young man who is dead this morning, there are two police officers in hospital, there is a family who is grieving. Gaith Krayem 
 
 Mr Krayen said the public needed to reserve their judgement until a full and objective investigation has taken place. 
 
 "Immediately, individuals such as this unfortunately are given these labels of a radical, or a terrorist, or an extremist," he said. 
 
 "Unfortunately, because of the environment we're in, as soon as you label somebody like that, people don't want to then question what occurred. 
 
 "We don't know really what happened when this young man arrived at the police station. 
 
 "What we do know is that there's an 18-year-old young man who is dead this morning, there are two police officers in hospital, there is a family who is grieving." 
 
 Topics: crime, federal-parliament, federal-government, terrorism, law-crime-and-justice, police, endeavour-hills-3802 
 
 First posted ||||| CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A terror suspect shot dead after he stabbed two Australian counterterrorism police officers had his passport canceled on national security grounds and had recently displayed what appeared to be a flag of the Islamic State group, top police officials said Wednesday. 
 
 A forensic officer documents objects including a blanket at the scene of a fatal shooting at Endeavour Hills Police Station in Melbourne, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. A suspected terrorist was shot dead... (Associated Press) 
 
 Some experts suspect Tuesday's attack was inspired by the Islamic State group's call to supporters to wage terrorism in their home countries. 
 
 An Australian Federal Police officer and a Victoria state police officer who were part of a counterterrorism team had asked the 18-year-old to come to a police station in Melbourne to answer questions after first drawing their attention three months ago, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said. 
 
 The trio shook hands before the man began stabbing the officers, Australian Federal Police Commander Bruce Giles said. One of the officers then shot the man dead. 
 
 The officer had no choice but to shoot, said Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius. 
 
 Police haven't released the suspect's name, but opposition leader Bill Shorten identified him in Parliament as Numan Haider. 
 
 A second knife was found on the man after he was shot, Lay said. Both officers were in stable condition Wednesday. 
 
 The man had recently exhibited behaviors that had caused police "significant concern," Lay said, including being seen waving what appeared to be an Islamic State flag at a shopping center. 
 
 Australian Federal Police Acting Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the man's passport was canceled about a week ago on national security grounds. 
 
 Brett Zarb, spokesman for GPT Group that owns the Dandenong Plaza shopping center, said police had asked the mall for security footage of Haider's brief visit to the complex last Thursday. 
 
 Zarb said Haider had been accused of displaying the Islamic State flag at around 4 p.m. that day. He did not create any disturbance, he said. 
 
 Asked about reports that the man had also threatened Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Colvin said the man had not made any "specific threats." 
 
 Abbott is en route to New York to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting on the 15,000 foreign fighters who are in Iraq and Syria. 
 
 "Obviously this indicates that there are people in our community who are capable of very extreme acts," Abbott said in a video message from Hawaii. 
 
 A statement issued by Islamic State group spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani and made public this week asked Muslims to use all means to kill a "disbelieving American or European — especially the spiteful and filthy French — or an Australian or a Canadian" or others whose countries are trying to disable the group. 
 
 Australian National University Professor of National Security Michael Wesley blamed the statement for the attack. 
 
 "I think that this attack occurring in the context of the fatwa that came out earlier this week, a fatwa that implored followers to attack infidels and ask no one's permission, thereby really an incitement to lone-wolf attacks — I don't think that's a coincidence at all," Wesley said. 
 
 Yahya Safi, member of the Australian National Imams Council, called for calm. 
 
 "The recent so-called fatwa from overseas making reference to Australia as a target has no religious authority and must be rejected," he said. 
 
 Islamic Council of Victoria Secretary Ghaith Krayem said his group had on Wednesday received threats against Muslims and the man's family. He urged people not to jump to conclusions about the man's motivations, saying that many 18-year-olds rebel against authorities without being terrorists. 
 
 The Defense Department announced Wednesday that an Australian air force contingent had arrived in the United Arab Emirates. The jets are expected to be used in airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq, although Australia has yet to commit to a combat role. 
 
 Earlier this month, Australia raised its terror warning to the second-highest level, citing the domestic threat posed by supporters of the Islamic State group. Last week, police detained 16 people in counterterrorism raids in Sydney and charged one with conspiring with an Islamic State leader in Syria to behead a random person. 
 
 On Wednesday, the government proposed a law to making it an offense to simply visit terrorism hot spots abroad. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writer Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report.
– Australian police shot and killed a terror suspect after he stabbed two officers yesterday, officials say. The suspect has been identified as Numan Haider, an 18-year-old Australian whose passport had been canceled amid terror concerns, the AP reports. Officers were concerned he was planning to behead police, cover their bodies in a flag, then post pictures online, following ISIS instructions, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Police asked him to come to a station in Melbourne for questioning after he'd been on their radar for three months; he'd recently been reported displaying an ISIS flag at a shopping center. Officers met him outside the building at his request, Australia's ABC News reports; when one tried to shake his hand, he stabbed the officer, police say. Both officers are in stable condition. A search of Haider revealed another knife, as well as an ISIS flag, the Morning Herald notes. Haider's family, from Afghanistan, had recently been worried about his behavior, a family friend tells ABC. He had been linked to a radical Melbourne-based group known as al-Furqan that has previously been raided by police, but he had reportedly drifted from the group.