Bondi Beach attack update: ISIS-affiliated flag, undetonated IEDs found
Two men, identified as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, opened fire at a Hanukkah gathering in Australia’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in what authorities are calling an antisemitic terror attack. Police fatally shot the elder Akram at the scene, while the younger suspect remains in critical condition under guard.
The Australian Federal Police confirmed the 50-year-old father and 24-year-old son were the only perpetrators of Sunday night’s attack, the deadliest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Officers recovered six firearms and two improvised explosive devices from the scene, and investigators found a flag associated with the Islamic State group in their vehicle.
Police believe the pair had recently returned from a trip to the Philippines and are probing possible ideological motives and links to international extremist networks.
The Islamic State of East Asia, active in the region, has been listed as a terrorist group in Australia since 2017.
Authorities carried out raids on two locations linked to the suspects, including a short-term rental in Campsie and a home in Bonnyrigg, where six additional firearms were seized and two individuals taken into custody, The Guardian reported. The men had told relatives they were headed for a fishing trip to Jervis Bay before the attack.
At least 27 people remain hospitalized with injuries sustained in the shooting. NSW Health reported on Monday that multiple victims are in critical or critical-but-stable condition at facilities across Sydney. Among the dead are 10-year-old Matilda, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, and Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a father of five.
Two police officers were also injured in the exchange of gunfire.
Naveed Akram was shot and transported to a nearby hospital, while Sajid Akram died at the scene. Police say Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, had been under ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organization) observation in 2019 but was deemed not to pose a threat at the time.
Sajid Akram arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, later shifting to a partner visa and then a resident return visa. He legally owned six guns and belonged to a recreational shooting club.
Naveed had recently lost his bricklaying job due to company insolvency and was reportedly seeking new employment.
Their Bonnyrigg home was purchased in 2024. The family previously lived in Cabramatta. Naveed’s mother described her son as quiet and nonviolent, expressing disbelief at his involvement. “He doesn’t even go out,” she was quoted as saying in an interview.
A man who once studied the Quran with Naveed reportedly said he lost contact with him in early 2022 but expressed horror at the shooting. He had been tagged in a 2022 social media post indicating he had completed Quran studies at Al-Murad Institute, though the post has since been deleted.
The National Cabinet held an emergency session Monday, where leaders from all states and territories agreed to push forward reforms to Australia’s gun laws. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the shooting represented an “unprecedented scale of attack” and called for a coordinated national response.
Officials also reiterated their commitment to tackling antisemitism and violent extremism. A statement from the cabinet confirmed discussions on expanding the National Hate Crimes Database and increasing protection for Jewish cultural and community sites.
Community leaders and interfaith groups issued widespread condemnations.
The NSW (New South Wales) Faith Affairs Council convened an emergency meeting attended by 25 leaders from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities. Among those who attended were Rabbi Benjamin Elton of The Great Synagogue and Rabbi Nochum Shapiro of Chabad House North Shore.
Muslim community groups also condemned the violence. The Bonnyrigg mosque, near the Akram family’s residence, said in a statement that violence driven by hatred “must be rejected fully.” The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association expressed sorrow at the attack and support for the Jewish community.
The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network said the perpetrators “do not represent our movement,” and rejected antisemitism and all forms of hate.
Public memorials continued at Bondi Beach, where thousands have gathered to mourn the victims.
