Canberra: Days after a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack appeared to have been motivated by Islamic State ideology.
“It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology,” Albanese said during an interview with ABC. He described the attack as “meticulous, calculated, cold-blooded” and said investigators believed the two attackers had acted alone.
Australia’s federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, also described the Bondi Beach shooting as “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State”. She said evidence gathered so far pointed to extremist ideology as the driving force behind the violence.
The attackers were identified as a father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed Akram was apprehended and hospitalized. New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed the two men were the only shooters involved. Two homemade Islamic State flags were found in a car registered to Naveed and parked near the beach.
In total, 15 people were killed in the attack, including a 10-year-old child, and 40 others were injured. Five remain in critical condition, and two police officers are in serious but stable condition.
Shooter charged with 15 counts of murderPolice charged alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram with terrorism, 15 counts of murder, and a litany of other crimes this week. "Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community," New South Wales state police said. Naveed was critically wounded by police during the shooting, and local media reported he woke from a coma on December 16. Sajid Akram was killed in a shootout with police. Police said Naveed had also been charged with 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, as well as public display of the symbol of a prohibited terrorist organization. |
