"The older brother made a commitment to this form of Islam several years ago, he sought to impact that thinking onto his brothers. That's occurred over a time period of several years," Mr Guenther said. "That older individual in our terminology would be at the threat level that is very high. "We have over 100 people that we monitor at various levels. He was definitely one of those on that list." The 30-year-old brother had previously travelled to Bangladesh to marry before returning to Australia, Mr Guenther said. The men had travelled in NSW and Queensland, before recently moving to the Wodonga area.

On Wednesday afternoon, counter-terror detectives spotted the pair "by chance" at a service station in Barnawartha North, about 20 kilometres west of Albury-Wodonga, and called on local police to help stop the duo at the nearby Richardsons Bend campground. Mr Guenther said at the campground, one police car was rammed before the brothers allegedly emerged from their vehicle, one carrying a knife and the other a tomahawk. The older brother charged police and was shot. Police tried to negotiate with the teenager for a number of minutes and used a Taser and capsicum spray before he also allegedly lunged at officers and was shot. The 30-year-old brother has previously spent time in Victoria, but a more significant period in NSW, Mr Guenther said.

He was in prison in NSW last year for crimes not related to terrorism, and has previously been linked to a bikie gang in South Australia. Mr Guenther said it was too early to say whether the 30-year-old was associated with any terrorist organisations. The older brother was flown from Albury to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne on Wednesday night. Both men were in a critical but stable condition in hospital on Thursday morning. Police are now investigating whether the brothers had taken up residence at the camping ground in an attempt to "get off the grid", Mr Guenther said. "Perhaps they felt they were under too much spotlight," he said.

Victoria's Chief Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said counter-terrorism police had been trying to speak to the pair after learning they had recently relocated to Wodonga. One was wanted, he said, on an old warrant. "In attempting to speak to them that this confrontation occurred," he said. Mr Ashton said the officers involved in the confrontation were wearing body cameras and Victoria Police's Professional Standards Command would be reviewing the footage, with oversight from the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the brothers had been "all over the country", including Queensland and South Australia. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

Acting Assistant Commissioner Clive Rust, who is based in Albury-Wodonga, could not say how many officers fired their weapons. Mr Rust emphasised it was "standard procedure" and there was no ongoing terror investigation or threat to the public. "We're treating this as a violent attack on police members and not a terrorism incident," he said. "They were making routine inquiries in order to touch base with them, talk to them, assess them and make a judgment on whether they posed any risk. It was purely a chance meeting that they identified their car at a service station. "The matter's being investigated by the homicide squad with Professional Services Command oversight and obviously the links and any motivation – all the details of the investigation – will eventually come to light, hopefully."

Police at the campground in Barnawartha North. Credit:Mark Jesser/Border Mail No police were injured but they would receive pyschological support, Mr Rust said. "We've got all our normal welfare support services and the Police Association and we will be very, very wary of making sure we look after them," he said. "The work that the police do every day is risky and with situations involving radicalisation, terrorism, ice, drugs, people with mental health issues, confrontations, family violence – it's risky work our members do and they do a wonderful job." Mr Guenther also praised the police involved.

"They would’ve left the office yesterday morning not thinking they would be confronting this situation," he said. Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said it did not matter if members were in Melbourne or Barnawartha, the threat to their safety was confronting. "Incidents like this stay with them, whether it be at the forefront of their mind, or in its recesses, it doesn’t leave them," Mr Gatt said. "Our members place themselves between violence and the community. They don’t expect praise in exchange for that, just a level of respect and understanding." A person near the scene in Barnawartha North described a swarm of police around the usually sleepy township on Wednesday afternoon.