Australia vows to improve border security amid terrorism scare

Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott addresses members of the media after a party room meeting at Parliament House in Canberra February 9, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

CANBERRA -- The Australian government will step up its border security measures to help fight terrorism in Australia following the latest security threat in Sydney, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday.

"At every level, we are lifting our game when it comes to national security," Abbott told radio station 3AW.

His comments were prompted by the arrest of two suspected "lone wolf" terrorists on Tuesday, the third such terror-related incident in Australia in the past six months.

In September, two police officers were injured and their assailant killed outside a Melbourne police station, while in December, a 16-hour siege occurred in Sydney's CBD which resulted in the deaths of two hostages and the gunman.

Omar al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were arrested by police in suburban Sydney on Tuesday just hours before they were allegedly going to execute a terror plot.

Abbott's comments were supported by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton who suggested that one of the terror suspects may have arrived illegally more than five years ago, raising concerns about Australia's "porous" border security under the previous Labor government.