Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Bondi Beach attackers were likely motivated by Islamic State ideology, as authorities investigate the deadly mass shooting.
SYDNEY: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the father and son who carried out a mass shooting at Bondi Beach were likely driven by “Islamic State ideology”.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on crowds celebrating Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
Albanese described the attack as being motivated by an “ideology of hate” during interviews on Tuesday.
“It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology,” Albanese told the ABC.
Authorities are investigating whether the pair met with Islamic extremists during a trip to the Philippines in November.
The prime minister confirmed that Naveed Akram had been interviewed by intelligence agents in 2019 but was not considered an imminent threat at the time.
Police are still piecing together the duo’s movements before the attack.
On the day of the shooting, Naveed reportedly told his mother he was going on a fishing trip.
Instead, authorities believe he and his father were plotting the assault from a rental apartment.
Carrying long-barrelled guns, they fired on the beach for 10 minutes before police shot and killed 50-year-old Sajid.
Naveed, 24, remains in a coma in hospital under police guard.
Hours after the shooting, police found a homemade bomb in a car parked near the beach.
A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a local rabbi were among those killed.
Australia’s leaders agreed on Monday to toughen gun laws that allowed Sajid to own six firearms.
The attack has revived allegations that Australia is not doing enough to combat antisemitism.
Australian Jewish Association head Robert Gregory said the government had “failed to take adequate actions to protect the Jewish community”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked the attack to Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood earlier this year.
Thousands of Australians have lined up to donate blood to the wounded, with a record 7,000 people giving on Monday.
A growing memorial at Bondi Beach drew hundreds of mourners on Monday evening to mark the second day of Hanukkah.
Leading a ceremony to light a menorah candle, a rabbi told the crowd, “The only strength we have is if we bring light into the world.” – AFP
