Stink bomb sparks Sydney train scare

SYDNEY, May 3 (Reuters) Two Australian teenagers detonated a stink bomb on a commuter train in Sydney today sparking a counter-terrorism operation, police said.

Local police and the counter-terrorism squad launched into action after numerous emergency telephone calls reported an explosion on a train.

Assistant Police Commissioner Dave Owens said passengers began to panic after hearing an explosion on the train between St Leonards and Wollstonecraft stations in Sydney's north.

''It would have been terrifying. You're on a train, you hear a loud bang, the logical conclusion that people drew was (that it was) probably a terrorist attack,'' Owens told reporters.

''It wasn't, we don't treat it as a joke, we don't see it as funny at all. We had to throw a number of resources, from local area commands, regional police, and from the counter-terrorist community into this incident.'' The boys were filmed on a train station security camera but have not been found.

Reuters SZ GC1230