Australian law enforcement officials categorized the mass shooting at Bondi Beach as an Islamic terrorist attack on Tuesday.
Krissy Barrett, Australia’s federal police commissioner, provided the update during a press conference on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. She called the mass shooting during a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, “a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State.” It was the first time Australian government officials linked the tragic event to Islamic terrorism.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has received extra scrutiny for allegedly ignoring warnings about antisemitism in his country, revealed that evidence obtained during the investigation into the shooting included “the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized.” Improvised explosive devices were also recovered during the search.
Fifteen people were killed in the shooting, and over two dozen were injured. The victims ranged from 10 to 87 years old, according to reports. The suspected gunmen were father and son. Sajid Akram, 50, was killed during the attack. Naveed, 24, was being treated at a hospital.
Barrett called the suspects “callous” for how they planned the attack and their lack of regard for human life, regardless of age.
“The suspected murderers, callous in how they allegedly coordinated their attack, appeared to have no regard for the age or ableness of their victims,” said Barrett. “It appears the alleged killers were interested only in a quest for a death tally.”
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Officials have reportedly scrutinized a recent visit by the duo to the Philippines, suspecting they went there for “military-style training.” The Australian Broadcasting Company revealed that Naveed had ties to “Australia’s pro-Islamic State network.” The Philippines, particularly the island of Mindanao, has been considered a hotbed for Islamic insurgencies, such as Islamic State East Asia, according to CNN. The organization is classified by Australia’s national security agency, ASIO, as a “deadly terrorist threat.”
“ISEA remains a deadly terrorist threat in the Philippines, with the Southeast Asia country a target destination for foreign terrorist fighters,” read a warning on the ASIO website. “While there are no known links between ISEA and Australia, there have previously been links between Australians and terrorist groups in the Philippines.”
