Australian authorities have revealed that the two men accused of a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which claimed 15 lives, were “inspired” by the ISIL group.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that the suspects had recently traveled to the Philippines, with investigators still probing the purpose of that trip.
“Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son,” said Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett during a press briefing.
“These are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion,” Barrett added, referring specifically to ISIL.
Authorities have identified one of the alleged gunmen as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was shot dead by police.
His 24-year-old son, believed to have acted alongside him and named by local media as Naveed Akram, was also shot and remains in critical condition in hospital.
Investigators say the father and son opened fire on hundreds of attendees at the beachside festival, carrying out an attack that lasted roughly 10 minutes at one of Australia’s most frequented tourist spots.
Wayne Hay, reporting from Bondi Beach for Al Jazeera, said police recovered “two Islamic State flags – homemade flags – were found in the gunmen’s vehicle along with an improvised explosive device.”
“They also spoke about this trip that the pair had taken to the Philippines. A lot of speculation about that over the past 24 hours or so. They confirmed that they did go to the Philippines recently, but they are not clear yet as to the motive for that trip,” Hay noted.
“That will, of course, form part of any ongoing investigation as to why they made that trip,” he added.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters that the purpose of the visit and the exact locations the suspects visited in the Philippines “is under investigation at the moment.” Philippine authorities are also looking into the matter.
ISIL-affiliated armed groups have been known to operate in parts of the Philippines, particularly in the south. Though these groups have been weakened in recent years, they persist as smaller cells on Mindanao island.
The groups’ influence today is far less than during events such as the 2017 Marawi siege, when ISIL fighters occupied the city, resulting in months of heavy combat with government forces and more than 1,000 deaths.
The Bondi Beach shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly 30 years, also left around 25 people injured, several in critical condition.
