Bondi gunmen’s travel to Philippines before terror shooting under probe

The two suspected gunmen in a terror attack that left 16 dead at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach last weekend had traveled to an Islamist militant stronghold in the Philippines weeks before the massacre, authorities said Tuesday.

Catch up: Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, opened fire Sunday evening on hundreds gathered for the Jewish holiday at the Australian beach. The assault, which lasted for about 10 minutes, stands as the country’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly 30 years, leaving 16 dead and 25 more requiring hospital treatment.

Officers fatally shot the father and critically wounded the son. Investigation shows that Sajid possessed a firearms license granted in 2023 and kept six registered weapons. He traveled on an Indian passport, while his son held Australian citizenship. Police also recovered two makeshift ISIS flags and improvised explosives from a vehicle Naveed had registered. A separate video shows the younger Akram preaching Islam at suburban Sydney railway stations.

Heroes hailed: Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, a Syrian-born tobacconist and father of two, won worldwide recognition for wrestling away a rifle during the attack. A now-viral video shows how he concealed himself behind a vehicle before lunging at one of the armed men moments after he fired. The Muslim shopkeeper, whose parents had recently relocated from Syria as refugees, took multiple bullets to his shoulder while defending attendees at the Jewish religious gathering, demonstrating a powerful rejection of sectarian violence. His father told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that “when he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving.”

Ahmed remained hospitalized Tuesday awaiting further operations. So far, a GoFundMe page organized on his behalf has amassed more than $2.4 million. Others who confronted the attackers and died included Boris and Sofia Gurman, spouses for 34 years who perished attempting to disarm a gunman, and Reuven Morrison, 61, who was killed after hurling bricks at the shooters.

Probe into the Philippines: Immigration documents confirm that the Akrams entered Manila on Nov. 1 and proceeded to Davao, located in the southern island of Mindanao, before departing on Nov. 28. Their travel has become a focal point in the investigation of their motive as parts of Mindanao have been centers of Islamist militant activity for decades, with Islamic State-affiliated groups embedding themselves within local Muslim populations. While these networks now operate as weakened cells following the 2017 Marawi siege, sympathizers persist.

It remains unknown whether the pair underwent training or established terrorist connections, but analysts studying extremism note that foreign travel to meet committed militants supplies the decisive factor converting intentions into operational attacks. These encounters provide both combat instruction and psychological conditioning through isolation and concentrated indoctrination. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett characterized initial findings as pointing toward an Islamic State-inspired attack, stressing these represent “the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion.”

The big picture: Beyond the immediate tragedy, the massacre reveals how rising antisemitism fuels extremist violence. Research from Deakin University documented sharp growth in antisemitic social media posts from Australia after Oct. 7, 2023, with content blaming Jews collectively for Israeli government policies jumping from 505 monthly posts to 21,724.

Still, the attack simultaneously underscores Islamophobia’s dangers. A Muslim refugee placed himself in mortal danger rescuing Jewish worshippers, representing the pluralistic society extremists seek to fracture. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a frequent target of Islamophobic attacks, condemned the incident as “a vile act of antisemitic terror” while praising Ahmed for his actions. “Let us look to his example and confront hatred with the urgency and action it demands,” he said in part.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also recognized Ahmed’s religious identity: “We saw an action of a brave man — turns out a Muslim brave man, and I salute him — that stopped one of these terrorists from killing innocent Jews.”

Investigations continue.