Australian authorities reveal past ISIS link to Bondi Beach attacker
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Australian authorities said on Monday that they had previously investigated a potential link between one of the perpetrators of the Bondi Beach attack and the Islamic State (ISIS) organization six years ago.
On Sunday, Australian police announced that several people were killed and dozens injured in a shooting that occurred during celebrations marking the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in the Bondi Beach area near Sydney.
Police said that a father and his son opened fire on Hanukkah celebrants on the beach, killing 16 people and wounding more than 40 others.
Australian media identified the attackers as Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed during a shootout with police, and his son Navid Akram, 24, who remains in critical condition in hospital under police guard.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) quoted a senior official in the Joint Counter-Terrorism as saying that Navid Akram was believed to have close links to an ISIS member who was arrested in June–July 2019 and later convicted of planning a terrorist attack in Australia.
According to the report, counter-terrorism investigators also believe that the attackers pledged allegiance to ISIS prior to carrying out the Bondi Beach shooting.