CANBERRA, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Anti-terror operation continued Wednesday in Australia as Prime Minister John Howard said the raids and arrests were not attacks on Muslims.

    Another raid was conducted by the police at a house in southwestern Sydney, Australia's largest city, overnight as part of an ongoing national operation to disrupt a large-scale terrorist attack.

    The latest raid followed raids Tuesday in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, which led to the arrests of 17 terror suspects who allegedly were planning a terrorist attack in Australia.

    But no arrests were made and no one was removed from the home in the latest raid.

    The raids came just days after the Australian Parliament rushed through an urgent amendment to the federal anti-terrorism laws following Prime Minister John Howard's announcement that the government has received intelligence about possible terrorist attack in Australia.

    The amendment allows charges against people who plan attacks but who have not yet decided upon a target or a time.

    However, Howard said Wednesday that Muslims had to be reassured they were not being targeted.

    "People who support terrorism are as much their enemies as they are my or your enemies," he told Sydney radio 2GB.

    "There is nothing in our laws, nor will there be anything in our laws, that targets an individual group be it Islamic or otherwise," he said.

    "What has happened is that people have been charged with a breach of the law, they are entitled to be properly defended, they're entitled to all of their rights under the law," he said.

    The arrested suspects, nine in Melbourne and eight in Sydney, are now charged with belonging to a terrorist organization and, inone case in Melbourne, directing a terrorist organization.

    But new charges could follow as the police comb seized items during the raids.

    Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner Noel Ashby said Wednesday the police and security agencies were examining the seized items and were ready to follow other avenues of inquiry.

    "... as a consequence of the other information that we may obtain, we will then look at other criminal charges. There is an immense amount of detail that we need to look at and, so, we would say that there is every likelihood that other charges would be laid," he said.

    Meanwhile, whether to pursue new rules to deport members of terrorist organizations if they hold dual citizenship is being discussed. Government MPs are divided over the issue.

    Abdul Nacer Benbrika, allegedly headed the Melbourne cell and was also the spiritual leader of the associated Sydney group, holds dual citizenship of Australia and Algeria.   Enditem