By Hanika Kashyap
The father and son accused of opening fire at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, December 14, seemed to have been inspired by the Islamic State group, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Police said that the attackers had travelled to the Philippines last month. The reason for their visit is unclear, said New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon. Notably, armed groups linked to ISIL often operate in parts of the Philippines, especially in the southern region.
At a news conference, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said “the attackers acted like those of a terrorist organisation, not a religion,” referring to ISIL. Albanese also mentioned that Islamic State flags were found in the vehicle registered to the son.
Sajid Akram, 50, died on the spot. His son, Naveed Akram, 24, was shot and is currently in surgery at the hospital, with his condition said to be critical.
The attack, which was 10 minutes long, killed at least 15 people, aged between 10 to 87. But at least twenty-five people, including children, were injured. The victims are receiving treatment in the hospital. The act has been termed as terrorism targeting Sydney’s Jewish community.
On Tuesday, people paid tribute to those who died in the attack by laying a bouquet of flowers. Mental health volunteers were present, along with rabbis and food delivery drivers were also there. Australian and Israeli flags were also raised in memoriam.
Other than this, the father-son duo flew from Sydney to Manila on November 1, with Davao as their last stop to land, confirmed the immigration officials in the Philippines. They then flew back to Sydney from Manila. Interestingly, they did not raise any suspicion during their transitions, and their reason for travel was stated as tourism. Australian authorities further stated that the Philippines is a “target destination for foreign terrorist fighters.”