Yehya Amoud: shot dead as he sat in a car in 2012. They were also charged with the attempt to murder Hijazi, who was wounded. Omar Ajaj, 24, injured in a fatal shooting of his friend last week at Revesby Heights, was another of those arrested on Thursday. Ajaj, who was in hospital last week, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the Yagoona shooting last year. The other four members to have been arrested on Thursday were held over the shooting of two men also linked to the group as they sat in a car at Bankstown on Wednesday night. The two victims drove themselves to Bankstown Hospital and their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas said the arrests of these senior members, in raids on five homes and two businesses in Sydney's south-west and the Illawarra, are a significant step towards dismantling Brothers 4 Life as an organisation. "There is definitely a split within the group that has caused this to flare up and we have taken significant steps today to dismantle the group by arresting the numbers that we have. "We need to send a message today that, if you're involved with this group, if you continue committing the criminal acts that you've been committing, you can expect no respite and no let-up from police. We're focused and we're coming." Head of the homicide squad, Detective Superintendent Michael Willing, said investigations would continue and has not ruled out the possibility other shooting incidents could be linked. Mohammed Hamzy, known as Hamoudi and "Little Crazy", drives around in a car with licence plates that read MEOC, which stands for Middle Eastern Organised Crime.

He has been the de facto leader of Brothers 4 Life while his cousin, the group's founder, Bassam Hamzy, serves another 22 years in Goulburn Supermax on a raft of charges including murder and drug supply. Detectives have linked the alleged murder at Greenacre to the shooting of a man in the leg less than a week before that at Yagoona. They now believe the shooting death of Mahmoud Hamzy, a cousin of both Mohammed and Bassam Hamzy, at Revesby Heights last week is linked to the Greenacre and Yagoona shootings. Mahmoud Hamzy lived at the address with Mohammed, who arrived home after the shooting, joking that the gunshots were "like fireworks". Mr Kaldas said those who were associated with the gang should think long and hard if they still wanted to be involved.

"If you are still a member of Brothers 4 Life after last 24 hours you need to seriously think about the length of life that you have and what's going to happen if you keep going down that path," Mr Kaldas said. "There will be no rest, no respite and no let-up from police." NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell said indications that police had broken the back of Brothers 4 Life would be met with "a wave of relief across the city". "I'm delighted if this means that the targeted shootings that we have seen in recent times have come to an end," Mr O’Farrell said. Thursday’s arrests came after a recent spate of shootings linked to the gang.

They include: - the killing of Mahmoud Hamzy, who was shot dead in Revesby Heights on November 3. - the shooting of Omar Ajaj, who was in the garage at the house in Revesby Heights. - the wounding of a 13-year-old girl, who was shot when gunmen opened fire in an attack meant for her gang member brother. - the shooting of gang member Michael Odisho who was hit in the arm and thighs at Winston Hills on Sunday night.

Most of the 10 Brothers 4 Life members charged will appear in court on Thursday. Aside from the two men charged with murder, others charged over the Greenacre and Yagoona incidents include a 23-year-old man Fairy Meadow man, who has been charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. A 25-year-old Belmore man has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, shooting with intent to murder, and hindering an investigation. Loading A 28-year-old Greenacre man has been charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

In relation to the Bankstown shooting, three men, aged 18, 21 and 22, were charged with attempted murder and firearms offences and will appear in Fairfield Local Court on Thursday. A 22-year-old has been charged with being an accessory to the incident.