New information continues to emerge about the circumstances surrounding the bloody terrorist attack carried out in Australia on Bondi Beach. In particular, it turned out that the militants had arrived in the Philippines before the shooting, “inspired by ISIS*” (the so-called “Islamic State”, IS is a terrorist organization banned in Russia).
Police investigators said Sajid and Naveed Akram had been “trained” abroad before Sunday's attack in Sydney, The Guardian writes.
Australian Prime Minister Albanese said the father-son terrorist duo believed to be behind the Bondi beach attack appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State. Australian police confirmed they are investigating the couple's trip to the Philippines last month.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mel Lanyon said on Tuesday that Naveed Akram, 24, and father Sajid, 50, recently visited the Philippines, The Guardian continued.
Lanyon also claimed that improvised explosive devices and two homemade IS flags were found in a vehicle registered to Naveed Akram that was parked at the site of Sunday's shooting.
“The reason why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that trip, as well as where they were going while there, are currently under investigation,” Lanyon said.
Meanwhile, Philippine authorities confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that Akram and his wife arrived in the country together on November 1 this year, with Sajid using an Indian passport and his son using an Australian passport. Father and son indicated their final destination as Davao, a large city on the southern island of Mindanao. According to the Immigration and Deportation Bureau, they left the country on November 28, flying back to Manila via Manila to Sydney.
Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines, is home to several Muslim rebel groups and has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the Philippine government. CNN recalls that in 2017, militants affiliated with ISIS captured the city of Marawi, leading to a bloody siege that lasted months.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters that “there appears to be evidence that this attack was carried out by the terrorist organization ISIS”.
The terror attack on Sydney beach is believed to have killed 15 people, with another 25 still in hospital as of Tuesday, The Guardian noted.
Naveed Akram was arrested at the scene and taken to Sydney Hospital with serious injuries. His father was shot dead by the police.
Mel Lanyon has corrected earlier reports that Sajid Akram first received his gun license a decade ago, saying he was only issued the license in 2023.
Prime Minister Albanese said Naveed Akram, who worked as a bricklayer, came to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (Asio) in October 2019. He had been questioned for six months over his alleged links to others, and the ABC reported that an Islamic State cell was involved in the counter-terrorism investigation.
At the same time, CNN emphasized that, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to answer questions about the nationality of one of the fighters. Authorities previously said the youngest terrorist was born in Australia and his father immigrated to the country in 1998 on a student visa. When asked about the father's hometown, Albanese said he could not give details due to the ongoing investigation.
* the so-called “Islamic State”, IS, ISIS is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
