Victorian police released two people over the weekend who were arrested during a counter-terrorism operation in North Melbourne on Friday, amid reports of a family connection to one of the Sri Lankan bombers.

Armed and masked police took the pair into custody near an inner-Melbourne Anglican church and raided a a residential property on Bedford Street on Friday.

Officers said the two people who assisted police with inquiries have since been released.

“At this time, no one has been charged,” police said.

The Herald Sun reports one of the people released is related to one of the Easter Sunday Sri Lankan suicide bombers.

But police have declined to comment on what they say is an ongoing investigation.

One of the bombers, Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, undertook a postgraduate degree at Melbourne’s Swinburne University in 2009 and stayed in Australia until 2013. His family claim he was influenced by extremist ideas during that period.

Victoria police and their federal counterparts have been tightlipped about the operation but reassured the community there was no imminent threats.

“This operation is not linked to a specific incident and is part of … ongoing intelligence gathering,” the police agencies said.