Australia on Monday raised its terrorism threat level to “probable,” with the country’s top intelligence official citing a homegrown rise in “extreme ideologies.”

Intelligence chief Mike Burgess said there was no indication of an imminent attack, but there was an increased threat of violence in the next 12 months.

“Australia’s security environment is degrading, is more volatile and more unpredictable,” Burgess told reporters.

“You’ve heard me say many times that espionage and foreign interference are our principal security concerns... intelligence suggests that is no longer accurate.”

“Politically motivated violence now joins espionage and foreign interference as our principal security concerns.”

Burgess, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, said more Australians were being radicalized and they were increasingly willing to use violence to advance their cause.

“Individuals are embracing anti-authority ideologies, conspiracy theories and diverse grievances. Some are combining multiple beliefs to create new hybrid ideologies,” he said.

Australia’s threat level had until Monday been classified as “possible.”

Burgess said extreme ideologies had increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, and more recently during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“An escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly in southern Lebanon, would inflict further strain, aggravating tensions and potentially fueling grievances,” he warned.