A Sydney man is set to appear in court on Wednesday to face charges relating to a stabbing in an alleged Islamic State-inspired attack.



Ihsas Khan, 22, who was charged with committing a terrorist attack and attempted murder after a 59-year-old man was stabbed multiple times attack in Minto, did not appear in person or via video link when his case was mentioned at Parramatta local court on Sunday. He did not seek bail and it was formally refused.

He was remanded to appear in Sydney’s Central Court on Wednesday.

Court documents allege Khan engaged in a terrorist act in an attempt to murder Wayne Greenhalg with the “intent to influence the Australian government”.

Greenhalg was stabbed while walking through a reserve at about 4pm on Saturday, suffering injuries to his body and hands.

He was treated by paramedics and flown by helicopter to Liverpool hospital in a critical condition. His condition has since improved to “serious”.

Police say that when an officer arrived at the scene on Saturday Khan tried to stab the officer before being arrested and taken to Macquarie Fields police station.



The New South Wales police deputy commissioner, Catherine Burn, says the police will allege in court an alleged stabbing attack in Western Sydney was “inspired by Isis”.



Burn said Khan was known to police. “He was not connected though, as far as we know, with any known terrorist group or any of our known terrorist persons of interest.”

Burn said comments made by the charged man at the scene were “what leads us to have the belief that it was inspired by Isis”.



“This was clearly a very volatile a very violent situation that police and the members of the community were confronted with,” Burn said.

The police say the victim and alleged attacker did not know each other.

The police said: “Police would like to reassure the community there is no ongoing threat in relation to this incident.”

The federal attorney general, George Brandis, thanked the NSW police for their prompt and effective response.

He also thanked the bystanders who reportedly intervened to help the victim of the alleged attack.

“It may very well be but for the bravery of those citizens to intervene the victim’s life would have been lost,” he told reporters in Brisbane.

“They are an inspiration to us all, they acted heroically and we should all be in their debt.”

The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, noting the stabbing occurred on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the 11 September attacks on the US, said the events were connected by “violent Islamic ideology” and “heroism”.

He told reporters in Canberra that an owner of some Minto premises had sheltered the victim and a bystander confronted the assailant and managed to keep him at bay until police arrived.

“We honour those heroes of today just as we honour the heroes of 9/11,” he said.

Australian Associated Press contributed to this report.