The two perpetrators of the Bondi Beach massacre in the Australian city of Sydney were “inspired” by the Islamic State and traveled to the Philippines, where this terrorist organization remained active in November, before committing the anti-Semitic massacre last Sunday in which 15 people were killed, as well as one of the attackers. According to Australian police, it is Mars. “Early indications point to an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack, likely committed by a priest and a man,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed shortly after this information to the public that this attack on the Jewish community celebrating the January holiday – the worst mass shooting in the country in 30 years – “was motivated by the ideology of the Islamic State”.
Australian police found crude Islamic State flags and explosive devices in the vehicle used by the men. The vehicle bore the name of the youngest, Naveem Akram, 24, who was hospitalized in serious condition after police shooting, while his father, Sajid Akram, 50, died on Sunday for the same reasons, bringing the total number of deaths from the attack to 16. of Naveem Akram preaching Islam on the streets has been released.
Sajid and Naveed Akram arrived together in Manila, the Philippine capital, on November 1 from Sydney, confirmed Dana Sandoval, spokesperson for the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. Sandoval assured that his final destination was the city of Dávao, considered the gateway to the southern Philippines. The men left the country on November 28, traveling to Sydney via Manila. The priest was traveling on an Indian passport, while his son, born in Australia in 2001, had a passport from that country.
Australian public television ABC cited security sources as saying that two men had gone to the Philippines to undergo “military training”.
Although Commissioner Barrett only states that the reason for the two men’s stay in the Philippines is “under investigation”, there is evidence that networks linked to the Islamic State are still active in the Philippines, particularly in the south of the country. These cells which operate on the southern island of Mindanao, where Davao is located, are however weakened. Australian authorities have not yet specified how the perpetrators of the shooting were radicalized to the point of entering into communion with Yihadist terrorism.
Security forces said they had information – the nature of which is unclear – about one of the perpetrators of the attack, but it was not considered an immediate threat. One of the men, the oldest, also had a license for six weapons, leading Australia to promise that it would strengthen its firearms laws, which are considered among the strictest in the world.
Meanwhile, 25 people injured in the attack remain admitted to several Sydney hospitals. Everyone is serious, including the police officers who were shot during the attack and who remain “in critical condition,” said Chris Minns, premier of Nueva Gales del Sur, where Sidney is located.
Ahmed al Ahmed, the Australian hailed as a hero for successfully disarming one of his attackers, is also still hospitalized. This Muslim, born in Syria 43 years ago, was shot at least four times, according to his family, and underwent surgery this month to remove the projectiles. Some photographs released by the Australian Prime Minister’s Office show Anthony Albanese working with Al Ahmed’s hand at St George’s Hospital, where he is admitted. The country’s head of government assured us that the man will have to undergo surgery again this month.
National duel
Meanwhile, Bondi Beach has open access to this area, although it is virtually empty. In the pabellon of the same name, a few meters from the scene of the shooting, a tribute with flowers and stuffed animals pays tribute to the victims. This beach, located a few kilometers from the center of Sydney, is the best known in the city and attracts many national and international tourists.
Olivia Robertson, 25, is one of the Australians who visited the monument this month. “This is the country where our attackers came so that we could feel safe and have opportunities,” Reuters said. “Now this has happened here on our back patio. It’s pretty shocking.”
The Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, also visited Bondi in that country and urged the Australian government to take all necessary measures to protect the lives of Jews in Australia. The Jewish community represents 0.55% of the Australian population (around 150,000 people out of a total of 27 million).
Furthermore, Benjamin Netanyahu’s executive accused the Albanian Prime Minister of having helped create the circumstances of this attack aimed at recognizing the Palestinian state last September and allowing demonstrations against the massacre in Gaza.
Mass shootings are rare in Australia, one of the countries with the lowest crime rates in the world. Sunday’s attack was the worst since 1996, when a gunman killed 35 people in the tourist resort of Port Arthur on the island of Tasmania, an attack that led to tougher gun laws.
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