The family's home was one of more than a dozen properties raided by 800 police during a major counter-terrorism operation. Raban Alou, whose Wentworthville home was raided. Credit:Geoff Jones Police said they were acting on information that a group was planning to carry out a number of attacks but said they had no specific information "My little brother was in shock. He's never witnessed anything like that and then they grabbed my brother [Kawa]. He was on the floor on his stomach and 'crack' on the nose. He was bleeding and they dragged him," Mr Alou said. "They took out my brother across the road ... made us get on our knees," he said.

"They said on the warrant [that] they are looking for stuff to do with al-Qaeda, IS and ... stuff like that." Police raid the Wentworthville unit. Credit:Emma Partridge He said police targeted a number of his brother's friends at Westmead, Guildford and Revesby during the dawn raids. "I know them as well; they never done anything wrong." Police raid the Wentworthville unit. Credit:Emma Partridge

"They [the police] said it was something to do with terrorist activity. I was like, relax." Mr Alou said his mother, Hamida, and two brothers were all escorted out of their Department of Housing unit on Lane Street. Kawa Alou returns to his home after medical treatment. Credit:Geoff Jones It's a war on Islam just because we grow our beards. At one point police had handcuffed him and Kawa but they were later released without charge.

"No one is charged yet; we don't have nothing to do with anything. They are searching now but there is nothing to find," he said. When asked why police had targeted his brother, he said he had no idea. "I dunno, I got a lot of anger. It's a war on Islam just because we grow our beards. They want to label us as a terrorist, or supporters of IS, whatever, that's up to you." he said. He later said he believed Kawa may have been targeted because he hung around with "hot heads". "He's just trying to live his life, do his own thing. I know ASIO is on to them [other friends targeted during the raids]."

He said his brother and those targeted had all grown up together and went to nearby schools in Sydney's western suburbs. Mr Alou said police had seized all the family's mobile phones, laptops and Play Station 3. "They are doing forensics stuff now," he said. "Shaken up" Kawa Alou returned to his Wentworthville unit about midday nursing a bleeding nose and bandaged elbows.

He said he had not spoken to several other friends who had been arrested during the raids. "Na, I haven't spoken to anyone. But you know, see how we go," he said. He said he had been to the doctors to get medical treatment after police raided his unit. "They told me to get on my knee, so I got on my knees and I co-operated and they dragged me and pulled me. Scratched my elbows and then they stomped on my head and breaked [sic] my nose." When asked if he had any idea why police had targeted him, he said he had no idea.

"Na, na I don't. I'm just shaken up." The Alou and Dudu families were the target of raids this morning and said they were friends with the Azari clan, who were the subject of a raid at Guildford. They said police had arrested Omarjan Azari and his 15-year-old brother at their home in Bursill Street. Omarjan Azari was later charged with planning a terror attack and refused bail at court. Tom Dudu, 19, a plumber, said more than a dozen police searched through his Westmead house and told his family to wait outside.

At the time he was at home with his younger brother and his mother. "Yeah, it's stupid. [I'm] shocked." He said officers took mobile phones from all his family members and would not let him go into his bedroom. Mr Dudu said he had no idea why police were interested in talking to his younger brother. "He's 15 years old, he is still at home, he's in year 10," Mr Dudu said.

"We haven't done anything," he said. Blue car After the raids, Mr Dudu and Raban Alou sat in a metallic blue car. They said they have no idea why dozens of police had raided their houses. Mr Dudu said police had questioned him and his younger brother.

When Fairfax Media asked them if they had heard of any plans for a random beheading in Martin Place, the men shook their heads. "Wheres that? Martin Place?" asked Mr Alou. Mr Dudu chipped in: "Oh yeah, I heard that on the radio." Loading The pair said they were both handed search warrants with a list of things police were searching for.

"They are looking for electronics, bombs, firearms, ammunition, phones, numbers, shit like that. It says that on the warrant, what they are looking for," Mr Alou said.