Philippine immigration authorities have confirmed that the two Pakistani nationals accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach last month had travelled to the Philippines in November, reportedly using Indian passports to enter the country.
Philippines Trip Under Investigation
Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, the main suspects in the horrific attack targeting a Jewish Hanukkah event, arrived in the Philippines as "Indian nationals" on November 1 and departed on November 28, according to a statement from the Bureau of Immigration cited by Bloomberg. The spokesman said the pair, who listed Davao as their final destination, left the Philippines on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila before heading to Sydney.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed the travel, stating, "I can confirm that they did travel to the Philippines. The reasons why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that and where they went when they were there is under investigation at the moment." Earlier reports from ABC News, citing security sources, suggested the gunmen may have travelled for "military-style training."
ISIS Links and Radicalisation
Investigators made a chilling discovery in a vehicle registered to the younger suspect. The vehicle contained improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and two homemade flags linked to ISIS, a militant group designated as a terrorist organisation by Australia and numerous other countries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered a clear indication on Tuesday that the attackers were radicalised. "It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology," Albanese told ABC News. He described their motivation as stemming from an "ideology of hate," adding that the world has been grappling with such extremism since the rise of ISIS over a decade ago.
Albanese also revealed that Naveed Akram had come to the attention of Australian intelligence in 2019 but was not deemed an imminent threat at the time. "They interviewed him, they interviewed his family members, they interviewed people around him. He was not seen at that time to be a person of interest," the Prime Minister said.
Attack Details and Aftermath
The attack unfolded when the two gunmen targeted Jewish attendees at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. The attack claimed 15 lives, including a 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi, a retired police officer, and a Holocaust survivor. Twenty-five other victims remain hospitalised, with six in critical condition.
Police revealed that the suspects had deceived their family, telling them they were going on a weekend fishing trip. Instead, they were staying at a short-term rental in Campsie, where they were allegedly planning the attack. Counterterrorism officers later searched the property and recovered two firearms.
Sajid Akram, who arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, was shot dead at the scene. Police described him as a fruiterer who held a firearms licence for recreational hunting, legally owned six guns, and was a member of a gun club. Authorities believe the attack was intended to sow panic among Australia's Jewish community.
Commissioner Lanyon stated there was no indication of an intelligence failure regarding their Philippines travel. "I don't believe it was an intelligence failure at all," he said. The Bondi Beach area remained an active crime scene with ongoing forensic work but was expected to reopen to the public by Wednesday afternoon.
