One of the shooters of the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday was previously investigated by authorities for ...
One of the shooters of the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday was previously investigated by authorities for his ties to an Islamic State terror cell.
Naveed Akram, who killed 15 people with his 50-year-old father Sajid Akram at a “Chanukah by the Sea” event Sunday, was investigated by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, six years ago, according to Australian media.
Police say the attack was inspired by the pair’s allegiance to ISIS, with two ISIS flags reportedly discovered in their vehicle, according to ABC Australia.
Police reportedly first took an interest in the 24-year-old terrorist after they foiled an ISIS attack that was planned by a man who declared himself the Australian commander of an ISIS cell in Australia. He was under investigation for six months before being deemed to pose no ongoing threat.
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess confirmed on Sunday that one of the terrorists was known to law enforcement.
“One of these individuals was known to us, but not in an immediate-threat perspective, so we need to look into what happened here,” he said.
The younger Akram is in critical condition at a hospital where he is under police guard. His father was shot dead by officers at the scene.
“Based on his medical condition, it is likely that this person may face criminal charges,” Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon of the New South Wales Police said.
Police raided the Akram home in Bonnyrigg, as well as an Airbnb they were staying at in Campsie.
The older terrorist was a lawful gun owner who legally possessed six firearms. Commissioner Lanyon noted that, despite Australia’s strict gun laws, he was able to legally own the weapons because he was a member of a gun club and held a recreational hunting license. Six firearms were recovered from the scene, along with two active improvised explosive devices.
Fifteen individuals are confirmed dead during the roughly 20-minute-long terrorist attack at the Jewish event, where about 1,000 were in attendance. Another 40 people were taken to the hospital, including two police officers and four children.
Victims named so far include Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who helped organize the event, a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, Peter Meagher, who was the photographer of the event, Tibor Weitzen, Dan Elkayam, Reuven Morrison, Yaakov Levitan, and Holocaust survivor Alexander Kleytman.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Schlanger directly addressed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — who has frequently criticized Israel — in a letter urging him not to betray the Jewish people.
“As a rabbi in Sydney, I beg you not to betray the Jewish people and not God Himself,” Schlanger wrote. “Jews have been torn from their land again and again by leaders who are now remembered with contempt in the pages of history.”
The letter came after Australia recognized a Palestinian state, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Antisemitism in Australia has surged following the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, which left more than 1,000 people dead, including just days after, when about 1,000 anti-Israel protesters in Sydney chanted antisemitic slogans, including “gas the Jews.”
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