Canberra: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was briefly evacuated from his official residence on Tuesday evening following a reported security threat, authorities confirmed.

The incident occurred at The Lodge, the Prime Minister’s official residence in the national capital. According to officials, Albanese was moved to an alternative secure location as a precaution.

In a statement, the Australian Federal Police said officers responded to what they described as an “alleged security incident” at around 6 pm local time (0700 GMT).

Police carried out a comprehensive search of the protected premises but found nothing suspicious.

“There is no current threat to the community or public safety,” the statement added, reassuring the public that the situation had been fully assessed.

National broadcaster ABC reported that the Prime Minister was taken to a separate secure location for several hours while authorities conducted their checks.

Albanese’s office later told ABC that they trusted law enforcement agencies and expressed gratitude for their swift response to the situation.