Counter-terrorism experts are warning that the multiple, simultaneous attacks in Paris on Friday night could inspire copycat acts around the Western world including Australia.

Commentators have said authorities need to be on alert after the attackers went for numerous, soft targets with military style weapons – even though they don’t believe Australia faces the same level of threat as other countries.

International terrorism expert Professor Rohan Gunaratna, the head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said “every successful terrorist attack is an intelligence failure”. He believes that the co-ordinated simultaneous, multiple attacks against French civilians are inspired and instigated by Islamic State (IS).

“The brutality of executions mirrors the IS mindset and methodology, and the diffusion of ideology and practice,” said Professor Gunaratna.