In western Sydney, a church congregation experienced a stabbing incident resulting in injuries to several individuals, including a contentious bishop. Law enforcement authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist act.

A 15-year-old boy has been apprehended following a stabbing incident at a church in Sydney that left at least four individuals injured, including a well-known and contentious bishop. Law enforcement authorities have classified the assault as a terrorism-related event. New South Wales state Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated during a press briefing on Tuesday that there were indications of religiously motivated extremism.

Following a thorough examination of the evidence, the incident was officially designated as a terrorist act. A 50-year-old man was transported to the hospital in critical condition, while three others received medical attention at the scene for injuries deemed non-life-threatening by the New South Wales state ambulance service.

During a service at the Good Shepherd Church in the suburb of Wakely, located 30 km (18 miles) west of Sydney's central business district, the stabbing incident unfolded. The congregation, affiliated with the Assyrian Church of the East, has its roots in parts of the Middle East and southern India.

A video circulating on social media captures a man approaching Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at the church's altar and repeatedly stabbing him. Another video, verified by Reuters news agency, shows several individuals restraining the assailant on the ground, with his face obscured.

In this second video, a voice speaking in Arabic can be heard stating, "If they didn't insult my prophet, I wouldn't have come here. If he didn't involve himself in my religion, I would not have come here."

The suspect is reportedly cooperating with the police, but authorities had to detain him inside the church to shield him from potential retaliation by enraged members of the congregation.

"There was so much anger because the bishop is loved by them, he’s loved by myself as well," remarked a local resident who identified herself as Canny to Reuters. "He preaches about the Lord and we love the Lord," she added.

Outside the church, furious worshippers allegedly hurled stones at police officers, resulting in injuries to two officers, prompting law enforcement to respond with tear gas.

"A large police response is underway, and the public is urged to avoid the area," stated the police.

Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, where Sydney serves as the capital, characterized the scenes as "disturbing" and urged the community to "stick together in the face of adversity."

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, born in Iraq into a devout Christian family, holds a prominent position within an ultra-conservative faction of the Assyrian Church of the East.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he garnered global attention for his fervent sermons denouncing lockdown measures as "mass slavery."

Known for his opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, he has also asserted that the United Nations is a creation of Satan and has alleged that the 2020 US presidential election was "rigged by secret societies."

The recent attack occurred shortly after a separate incident in which a 40-year-old man fatally stabbed six people and injured 12 others at a shopping center in Bondi Junction, eastern Sydney.

At present, there is no evidence to suggest any connection between the two incidents.