Monday, November 14 2005 15:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sydney: Police indicated today (Nov 14, 2005) that Australia's only nuclear reactor may have been a target of Islamic militants arrested last week on charges of plotting a major terrorist bombing.

A police fact sheet on allegations against eight Sydney men detained in November 8 raids also claimed that members of the group underwent 'jihad training' at rural areas in eastern Australia.

The fact sheet said police stopped three of the detained suspects; Mazen Touma, Mohammed Elomar and Abdul Rakib Hasan in December 2004 as they drove near a nuclear research reactor in the Sydney suburb of Lucas Heights.

The men said they were in the area to ride a trail bike that was in the back of their car.

But when questioned separately, they gave differing accounts of their activities. Police later found that a lock on a gate to the reactor compound had recently been cut, according to the fact sheet.

They and three other suspects allegedly underwent military-style training early this year at two properties near Bourke in the far west of New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital.

"Police allege that these camping and hunting trips are part of the jihad training being undertaken by this group", it said.

"These trips are consistent with the usual modus operandi of terrorists prior to attacks".

The 20-page document, tendered in court on Friday but not released to the public until today, revealed that police found 165 detonators along with chemicals used to make explosives at some of the suspects homes.