"Lets not put the focus on other things. The main message I'm sending with these statuses and photos is to the dogs AFP and ASIO who are declaring war on Islam and Muslims," Mr Haider posted on Facebook. A police officer in a bomb suit inspects the car at the scene. Credit:Getty Images/Scott Barbour Mr Haider made other comments about Australian law enforcement agencies that cannot be published. Photographs on Mr Haider's Facebook site also include other images of what appear to be members of Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in the Middle East. Several friends of Mr Haider have confirmed to Fairfax Media that he had been killed after stabbing two police officers.

"He was the best kid, [who] never harmed anyone, never missed a prayer," one friend said. An officer prepares to enter the police station. Credit:Getty Images/Scott Barbour Authorities have privately confirmed Mr Haider's identity. A family member, standing outside Mr Haider's home on Wednesday afternoon, made no comment about the incident. Police at the scene of the Endeavour Hills shooting. Credit:Getty Images/Scott Barbour

The home is located about halfway between the Endeavour Hills police station and the Hallam Mosque, where many of the Muslims in the region attend. Police said the two officers met the Narre Warren man outside the police station before he lashed out at the officers with a sharp instrument. Mr Lay refuted reports that he was running towards the police station when he was shot. Where the shooting occurred. Onlookers - who did not want to be named - said the dead man had been shouting insults at Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Australian government in general in the moments before he was shot. The federal government says the shooting occurred "in self-defence" and the victim was a known terrorism suspect.

Shot: Numan Haider Credit:Facebook Counter-terrorism police did not consider the youth a major threat, which is why he was invited for a low-key meeting outside a police station. But the youth was known to intelligence investigators due to his recent erratic behaviour. The two stabbed officers, one from Victoria Police and one from the federal police, were working together as part of a joint operation on counter-terrorism between the federal police and Victoria Police. The operation is believed to have been running for the past two to three years. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said a bladed knife was used in the attack and a second knife was found on Mr Haider's body. Federal police sources say the federal police officer was stabbed multiple times in the face, shoulder and abdomen.

It is understood he had regained consciousness and he was "lucky to be alive", the sources said. The Victorian police officer, aged in his late 30s, was stabbed in the arm. It is understood the Victorian policeman was attacked first before the teenager turned on the federal police officer. The AFP officer, a 43-year-old married man with two children, underwent surgery on Tuesday night for, in particular, wounds to his abdomen. He was stabbed to the neck, stomach and head. The Victorian officer, a leading senior constable, sustained slashes across his harm. He will undergo surgery on Wednesday.

Though both are in a stable condition, "we should be under no illusions of the seriousness of their injuries", acting Commissioner Colvin said. Police say the man was involved in an ongoing investigation. Mr Lay said he understood that the man's passport had been confiscated as part of a counter-terrorism sweep. He said the man was not going to be arrested when he met officers on Tuesday night. He also said police believed a flag had been brandished in the lead-up to the shooting, but it was being investigated what was emblazoned on the flag.

There were reports that the flag was that of Islamic State, which federal police Commander Bruce Giles said appeared to be correct. Mr Lay said the deceased came into contact with Victoria Police three months ago. "What we saw did cause us some concern," he said. He said there was an escalation late last week and police interest was "greatly heightened". Mr Lay said he did not believe the attack to be linked to a chilling Islamic State call to arms, which, released in recent days, had encouraged supporters to launch terrorist attacks in their home countries. "There is a lot of stuff out there at the moment; some of it's speculation, some of it's right, some of it's wrong," Mr Lay told radio station 3AW on Wednesday morning.

"We were aware of this young man, we had been for a number of months, and I think the fact that the joint counter-terror task force was doing some work around him indicated our level of concern." Mr Lay would not confirm whether the man made a threat against the Prime Minister. "It is so important that I don't feed speculation that is not right," he said. "It is very, very difficult to understand and, in many ways, it is very sad." Police say they are not aware the deceased had any mental illnesses.

He said the teenager had come to the police station with "one thing on his mind". "At this stage we have a very sad story and a number of issues we are working through." Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said the man had been asked to come to the police station to discuss behaviour "which had been causing some concern". When the man pulled up at the station, he stabbed the two officers as they went to greet him. "I want to make it very clear that the individual concerned who has died tonight was invited and did come of his own free will to the police station," he said. "Our members had no inkling this individual posed a threat to them and as far as we were concerned it was going to be an amicable discussion about that individual's behaviour.

"It is also clear to us that [the] individual has, without any warning, produced a knife and assailed them with a knife. "It's absolutely clear to us our members had no choice but to act in the way that they did." Police sources said it was the Victorian officer who shot the man. The federal officer was taken to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition with life-threatening injuries, but he is now in a stable condition, police said. The Victorian officer was taken to nearby Dandenong Hospital in a less serious condition, with stab wounds to the arms.

A bomb-disposal unit was called and inspected the car and the police station. Mr Giles said that, although the man did not make a bomb threat against police, the bomb squad was called to inspect his car for explosive devices. "Whenever we deal with individuals who have clearly aimed to cause harm to police, we go to exceptional lengths to ensure that the crime scene is safe," he said. Mr Giles said the man did not appear to be working with others. Homicide squad detectives are investigating the incident for the coroner, and Professional Standards Command members are overseeing the investigation.

About 50 onlookers gathered about 10pm, and about a dozen officers directed onlookers to leave. Premier Denis Napthine was briefed by Mr Lay on events. Shafi Miya, who works at the petrol station opposite the Endeavour Hills police station, said he heard a shot fired between 7.30pm and 8pm. The outside of Endeavour Hills police station was a hive of activity for 12 hours after the shooting as police officers continued to investigate. About 15 vehicles were parked inside and near the area, which was cordoned off by police tape, and a police caravan was set up to the side of the station.

A spokesman said the coroner arrived about 7am to assist homicide detectives. State Emergency Services crews have put up fencing to protect the crime scene, police spokesman Sergeant Kris Hamilton said, and an SES tent has been erected outside the police station. Sergeant Hamilton said the forensics team arrived about 7.15am, and that it would take investigators some time to "process" the crime scene before the body could be removed. Police believe a Nissan Pulsar parked outside a day-care centre near to the police station is the dead teenager's car. Police have been working with the young man's family through the morning and plan to meet faith leaders over the coming days, Mr Lay said.

"We will take immediate action if we see any issues around racism or prejudice-related crime," he said. Islamic Council of Victoria secretary Graith Krayem said he was disappointed that police had jumped to conclusions so quickly. "I heard and I saw the press conference with the police last night and I'm a little disappointed. I think it was a little too pre-emptive. The police have come out very clearly and almost have said it's all the young man's fault," he told radio station 3AW. He said, over time, that might prove to be the case, but it was important for "proper processes" to play out. Provocative preacher Sheikh Ustadh Mohammed Junaid Thorne has claimed in a Facebook post that police had raided Mr Haider's house just hours before his death.

Sheikh Thorne said friends of the teenager had told him police searched his room and upon hearing this, Mr Haider rang police and questioned why his privacy had been violated. "Police then requested him (or forced him) to come in for a brief meeting or questioning," Sheikh Thorne said. "His friends tried to talk him out of going to the police station, but he said he had nothing to hide or be afraid of, and so he went." The preacher paid tribute to the teenager, and claimed Mr Haider had been branded a "terrorist" by the government and had his passport cancelled without reason. "This boy was a normal good practicing young Muslim youth, with great character and kind moral.

"He was an average normal youth who spent his time hanging out with his friends, attending local mosques, and doing what every youth does," he said. Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said on Wednesday that it appeared the police officer shot and killed the terrorism suspect "in self-defence". He said the 18-year-old was a "known terror suspect". Victoria's terrorism threat unchanged Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Tim Cartwright told Fairfax Media last Thursday the terrorism threat had not changed in Victoria, despite raids in Queensland and New South Wales.

Mr Cartwright said he and Mr Lay had met senior sporting, tourism and event planning figures and had discussed future operations for the Asian Cup and cricket World Cup, but had not discussed the threat of individuals acting alone. While police have previously expressed concern about the possibility of "lone wolf" attacks, it remains unclear what level of planning had taken place before the Endeavour Hills stabbings. Joint-terrorism task forces operate between local police and the federal police in every state and territory. The largest recent operation conducted by the group in Victoria was raids on properties in the south-east associated with the al-Furqan Islamic Information Centre in 2012. The 18-year-old was not arrested during those raids, which resulted in one man being charged and at least 12 properties - including houses in Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren - being searched.

The al-Furqan website was operational last week, but was not available on Wednesday. Loading Police said at the time of the raids in 2012 that the centre had been encouraging extreme interpretations of Islam. - with Nino Bucci, John Silvester, Latika Bourke, Alexandra Back, Patrick Begley