ISIS To Attack Australia? Islamic State Magazine Calls For Lone Wolf Killings At Opera House, Bondi Beach

Australia became the latest target of Islamic State group violence this week after the extremist organization encouraged its followers to launch attacks on a number of famous sites there. The first edition of the new ISIS magazine Rumiyah, published Monday encouraged lone wolf supporters to stab, poison and otherwise murder nonbelievers, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

"Stab them, shoot them, poison them and run them down with your vehicles," the magazine reportedly read. "Kill them wherever you find them until the hollowness of their arrogance is filled with terror and they find themselves on their knees with their backs broken under the weight of regret for having waged a war against the believers, and by Allah's will, and then through your sacrifices, this Ummah will be victorious."

The call for attacks was inspired by the death of Ezzit Raad, an Australian who spent more than four years in jail after planning a blast unrelated to ISIS in 2005. Raad, who later became an ISIS recruiter, was recently killed in Syria, the Guardian reported.

The magazine suggested ISIS members focus these assaults on prominent public places, including the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, the Daily Telegraph reported. But authorities urged residents not to panic Tuesday as the news spread.

"Nothing can be taken for granted — we take every threat seriously — however, there is no change to the threat level," Daniel Andrews, the premier of Victoria, said at a news conference, 9News reported. "It’s important that we go about our business and send a message that we won’t be intimidated by these threats."

ISIS has singled out Australia before. In June, the fighters released a video instructing its supporters in Australia, Canada, Europe, the United States and the Balkans to "booby-trap [people's] cars and houses and offices" and "kill them with sniper rifles and silencers," according to Vocativ.

Michael Keenan, the minister assisting the prime minister on counterterrorism, said Tuesday the new threats against Australia were simply evidence of ISIS losing ground.

The magazine "is another desperate attempt to attract more supporters in the face of substantial territory losses and dwindling numbers of foreign fighters," he told news.com.au. "We will not let them win."