Australia Federal Police said early indications were that two gunmen alleged to have opened fire at a Jewish gathering on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14 did not receive military training from Islamist militants in the southern Philippines as originally feared. File photo by Mick Tsikas/EPA
Australian police said Tuesday that the alleged gunmen in the deadly Bondi Beach attack on people celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah acted of their own volition and did not undergo arms training in the Philippines.
Sajid Akram, 50, and son Naveed Akram, 24, did spend most of November in Mindanao, an area of the Philippines known for Islamist militants, but police said preliminary investigations by authorities there indicated they received no training or “logistical preparation” assistance and spent most of their time in their hotel.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said that officers were in the process of reviewing CCTV footage provided by Philippine authorities but that early stage evaluation of their movements suggested that “these individuals are alleged to have acted alone.”
“There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack,” Barrett said.
However, she stressed the purpose of their visit was not tourism and cautioned that new evidence or information could alter the picture that had emerged thus far as the investigation went on.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack in which 15 were killed, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the pair were “motivated by Islamic State ideology,” sparking fears of links to a wider terror conspiracy and that their trip to Mindanao was to receive military-style instruction from ISIS fighters based there.
Speaking alongside Barrett on Tuesday, Albanese doubled down on his opposition to a federal commission of inquiry into the attack demanded by the families of 11 victims, Jewish community leaders and the Liberal Party opposition, arguing that a proposed review of policing and national intelligence was preferable.
“Our position is not out of convenience; it is out of conviction that this is the right direction to go in. The actual experts who are the current experts have all recommended this course of action,” said Albanese.
His comments came a day after his minister for home affairs, Tony Burke, rejected calls for an inquiry in an open letter from the families, on the grounds that it would “provide a public platform for some of the worst statements and worst voices.”
That claim was dismissed as “patronizing” by shadow home affairs minister James Paterson who said the Jewish community also believed it was critical to find out why and how the attack was able to be mounted, despite the potential pitfalls.
Albanese said Tuesday that while many of those pushing for a royal commission had good intentions, others were seeking to score political points.
He pointed to the fact that the elder Akram’s entry to Australia, the issuing of his gun licence, and an investigation of the son by the security services all took place when the country was being governed by coalition administrations.
“All of these issues we should not play politics with. What we should do is go to the heart of what occurred and, importantly, how do we make sure that this never happens again,” said Albanese.
UPI Pictures of the Year: 25 stunning images
Clouds turn shades of red and orange when the sun sets behind One World Trade Center and the Manhattan skyline in New York City on November 5, 2025. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
