Alleged Bondi Beach Shooters Operated Alone and Did Not Training in the Southeast Asian Nation, Authorities Say.
The two alleged individuals responsible for the deadly attack at a Jewish gathering on Bondi Beach, which claimed 15 lives, appear to have acted alone, per national law enforcement.
Investigators further stated that Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram flew to the Philippines on 1 November. Their travel plans included arriving in the capital Manila before transiting that same day to Davao City. The pair returned to Sydney on 29 November.
No Evidence of Training During Trip
Authorities assert the pair did not undergo any form of attack-related instruction or "organizing" during their time in the Philippines. Preliminary findings from local officials point to they "hardly ventured out of" their hotel.
The incident—labeled as Australia's deadliest mass shooting since 1996—has been officially designated a terrorist incident.
"We are currently examining the footage," the commissioner stated, explaining that preliminary reviews indicate that "the two men are suspected to have been lone actors."
National law enforcement Chief Krissy Barrett briefed reporters on Tuesday that surveillance material documenting the alleged gunmen's activities in the Philippines had been provided to Australian investigators.
"Our investigation shows little to no indication to suggest these suspects were affiliated with a wider terrorist cell, or were instructed by external parties to perpetrate an attack," Commissioner Barrett stated.
But, the duo were additionally not necessarily in the Philippines as tourists, she added. She stressed that, since the probe is continuing, fresh information may surface.
Ideology and Legal Charges
Earlier, Australian leader Anthony Albanese remarked it looks as though both accused gunmen were "motivated by Islamic State" ideology.
During the shooting, Sajid Akram was fatally shot by responding officers. He and his son Naveed—both armed with long-barrelled guns—are accused of having opened fire on attendees at the Jewish festival celebration.
Naveed Akram, who was injured and taken to hospital after the shooting, has been charged with 59 charges. These encompass 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. He is scheduled to appear in court in April.
Travel Information
In the days following the shooting, border officials in the Philippines indicated that the older suspect had arrived in the country using an Indian passport, while his younger suspect used an domestic passport.
The two had declared the metropolis of Davao as their final destination. Their scheduled journey back to Australia was for Sydney.
Davao is a large city on the east of Mindanao, the Philippines' largest island in the south. The region is known because, Islamist fighters have been known to operate in less developed parts of southern and western Mindanao.
