Australian Police Say Bondi Beach Attackers Inspired By ISIL

Australian police say the deadly shooting at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney’s Bondi Beach was carried out by two men who were influenced by the extremist group ISIL.

Authorities confirmed that the attack, which claimed the lives of 15 people, is being treated as an act of terrorism. Investigators are also looking into a recent overseas trip taken by the suspects to the Philippines as part of efforts to establish the full scope of their actions and possible links.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said preliminary findings suggest the incident was ideologically motivated, describing it as an attack inspired by Islamic State thinking. She emphasized that the case should not be linked to any faith, but rather to individuals who had embraced violent extremist beliefs.

Police identified one of the suspects as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was killed by officers responding to the scene. His 24-year-old son, reported by local media to be Naveed Akram, was also shot and remains in critical condition in hospital.

Investigators said the two men fired indiscriminately at a large crowd gathered for the beachside celebration. The shooting unfolded over roughly 10 minutes, triggering panic at one of the country’s busiest and most well-known public locations.

Security officials disclosed that items found in the attackers’ vehicle included homemade ISIL flags and an improvised explosive device. The discovery has intensified scrutiny of the suspects’ recent movements, including their trip to the Philippines, the purpose of which has yet to be determined.

Police said they are still working to establish where the men travelled during that visit and whether it had any connection to extremist networks. Authorities in the Philippines are also conducting parallel investigations.

Armed groups aligned with ISIL have previously operated in parts of southern Philippines, particularly on Mindanao island. Although their influence has declined significantly, remnants of these groups are believed to remain active in smaller formations.

Their presence is far weaker than during the 2017 siege of Marawi, when ISIL-linked fighters took control of the city, leading to months of fighting that left more than 1,000 people dead.

The Bondi Beach shooting is the deadliest mass gun attack recorded in Australia in almost three decades. In addition to those killed, about 25 people were wounded, several of them sustaining life-threatening injuries.