Two brothers accused of plotting to blow up a passenger plane scheduled to travel from Sydney, Australia, to Abu Dhabi have pleaded not guilty in the case.

The suspects reportedly built the bomb under the instruction of a senior Islamic State operative in Syria.

The elder of the two brothers is accused of hiding a military-grade bomb inside of a meat grinder and placing it inside of his young brother's check-in luggage.

The two men face two separate charges of planning to commit acts of terror. They're expected to stand trial in the Sydney Supreme Court in March 2019.



Two brothers accused of plotting to blow up an outbound passenger flight from Sydney, Australia, using a bomb placed inside of a meat grinder have pleaded not guilty.

Khaled Khayat, 49, and Mahmoud Khayat, 32, are facing multiple terrorism charges. They're expected to stand trial in the Sydney Supreme Court in March 2019, Australia's Broadcast Corporation (ABC) reported.

The brothers allegedly targeted an Etihad flight that was due to travel from Sydney to Abu Dhabi on July 15, 2017.

Police allege that Khaled Khayat, from the Sydney suburb Surry Hills, hid a military-grade bomb inside of a meat grinder placed inside of his younger brother's checked luggage.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the plot was developed under the instruction of a senior Islamic State operative in Syria. The bag never passed through security and was not detonated.

The suit also alleges that Khayat pursued a second plot, this time to create a chemical weapon using hydrogen sulfide, a highly toxic gas known for its rotten egg smell. According to the Herald, messages between Khayat and his Islamic State contact reveal plans to unleash the gas in a crowded area, possibly on public transport.

The two men were arrested and their plots were uncovered during a terror sweep in Sydney last July.