ISIS flag
ISIS flagReuters

The Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group on Monday evening claimed responsibility for an attack in Melbourne, Australia.

According to the SITE intelligence group, the ISIS claim came through its Amaq News Agency. The group claimed that the attacker was one of its "soldiers".

The incident occurred earlier on Monday, when Australian police responded to reports of an explosion in an apartment block in the suburb of Brighton.

Upon arriving at the scene, they found the body of a man in the foyer, before shooting dead a second man who had taken a woman hostage in one of the apartments.

The siege ended when the suspect exited the apartment complex and opened fire. The woman escaped safely but three officers were injured by gunshots. Police returned fire and killed the man.

Australian officials are growing increasingly concerned over the threat of jihadist attacks on the country.

The country raised the terror threat alert level to high in September of 2014.

That same month, Australia arrested15 terror suspects of an ISIS cell that was planning to behead a random member of the public in a campaign of terror.

In December, police in Australia arrested seven suspects who were allegedly planning a series of bomb attacks in the heart of Melbourne on Christmas Day and were inspired by ISIS.