SYDNEY (MNN); The father and son accused of carrying out one of Australia’s deadliest mass shootings spent almost the entire month of November in the Philippines, Manila’s immigration authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The father entered the country using an Indian passport, officials said.
Immigration records show that Sajid Akram, 50, listed as an Indian national, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, an Australian citizen, arrived in the Philippines from Sydney on November 1, with Davao named as their final destination. Both men departed the country on November 28, according to immigration spokeswoman Dana Sandoval.
Australian police confirmed that the suspects travelled to the Philippines last month and said the purpose of the visit is under investigation. Philippine authorities have also launched their own probe into the matter.
The two men are accused of killing 15 people and injuring dozens more after opening fire during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Police said the attackers fired into a crowd for about 10 minutes at the popular tourist spot before being shot dead by officers.
Authorities said a vehicle registered to the younger suspect contained improvised explosive devices as well as two homemade flags associated with Islamic State, a group designated as a terrorist organisation in Australia and many other countries.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said early findings suggested the attack was inspired by Islamic State ideology. She stressed that the incident reflected the actions of individuals aligned with a terrorist organisation and not any religion.
Some 25 survivors remain under treatment at various Sydney hospitals, while two police officers are in critical but stable condition, according to New South Wales police.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack appeared to have been driven by Islamic State ideology. He disclosed that Naveed Akram had previously come to the attention of intelligence agencies in 2019 but was not assessed as posing an immediate threat at the time.
Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon visited Bondi Beach and urged the Australian government to ensure the safety of the Jewish community. He said Jewish Australians were increasingly forced to worship under heavy security amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents over the past 16 months.
A growing memorial of flowers has been set up near the Bondi Pavilion, close to the site of the shooting. Bondi Beach, one of Sydney’s most famous landmarks, remained largely deserted on Tuesday.
Among those praised for bravery was Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Muslim father of two who confronted one of the attackers and seized his weapon. He remains hospitalised with gunshot wounds and has been hailed internationally as a hero. A fundraising campaign in his name has raised more than A$1.9 million.
In the wake of the attack, the federal government has begun reviewing gun laws after police revealed Sajid Akram was a licensed firearm owner with six registered weapons. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said existing regulations needed fresh scrutiny.
The victims included a rabbi, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda Britvan, whose family has spoken of their devastation over her death.
