The IDF’s Unit 8200 provided intelligence that prevented an Islamic State plot to blow up an Etihad Airways flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi last July, the army revealed Wednesday.

“Unit 8200 provided crucial intelligence which brought about the prevention of an attack by the Islamic State in Australia in 2017,” a senior intelligence source said. “Cooperation with the Israeli intelligence community allowed for the transfer of information to local authorities, and the arrests of those involved as they were in a very advanced stage of carrying out the attack.”

Australian police revealed in August last year that under instruction from a senior Islamic State commander in Syria, an Australian man had built a bomb with high grade military explosives that he planted hidden in a meat mincer in his brother’s luggage without him being aware. Police said the bomb could have brought down the airliner which was carrying 412 people.

After the plot failed, the perpetrators went on to hatch another plot to build a hydrogen sulphide bomb which they planned to set ff in Sydney.

“Foiling the attack saved the lives of dozens of innocent people and shows that Unit 8200 is a central player in the battle against Islamic State,” the source said.