Sydney: Australian and Indian authorities have confirmed that one of the two attackers behind the deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was originally from Hyderabad and had lived in Australia for nearly 30 years. The attack, which took place during a Hanukkah gathering on Sunday, left 15 people dead and has been classified by investigators as an act of terrorism.
Police said the deceased suspect was Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot by officers at the scene. His son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, is accused of taking part in the assault and is currently recovering in hospital under police supervision.
Officials in Telangana said Akram left India in November 1998 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hyderabad. He initially travelled to Australia on a student visa and later settled there permanently. Despite his long residence abroad, Akram continued to hold an Indian passport, while his children were born in Australia and are Australian citizens.
Senior police officers in Telangana emphasised that Akram’s alleged radicalisation had no known links to India. They said he had maintained minimal contact with relatives in Hyderabad for many years and had become estranged from his extended family due to long-standing disputes. He last visited India in 2022 and did not return for his father’s funeral in 2017, according to officials.
After relocating to Australia, Akram married Venera Grosso, described by police as being of European background. The couple raised two children — Naveed and a daughter — in Australia.
The shooting unfolded at Bondi Beach, one of Sydney’s busiest and most visible locations, as members of the Jewish community gathered to mark Hanukkah. Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire broke out among families attending the event.
On Tuesday, Australia’s federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said investigators believe the attack was motivated by extremist ideology linked to the so-called Islamic State group.
“The alleged offenders appear to have acted with complete disregard for human life,” Barrett said. “The evidence suggests their sole objective was to cause maximum harm.”
Authorities said the attackers arrived at the scene in a vehicle registered to the younger suspect. The car was later seized and searched, with police reporting the discovery of improvised explosive devices and two handmade flags bearing symbols associated with Islamic State.
Investigators are also examining a recent overseas trip taken by the father and son. According to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, the pair entered the Philippines on November 1 and left on November 28, weeks before the attack. Sajid Akram travelled on his Indian passport, while Naveed Akram used an Australian passport.
Immigration records show they listed Davao, a city in the southern Philippines, as their destination. The wider Mindanao region has previously been linked to Islamist insurgent groups, some of which had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in the past.
However, Philippine military officials said there is no immediate confirmation that the two men received any form of militant training during their stay. Security authorities in the country noted that years of counterinsurgency operations have significantly weakened extremist groups in the region, and there have been no recent signs of foreign fighters operating there.
Australian officials said the purpose of the Philippines trip, as well as the suspects’ movements during that period, remain under active investigation as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to the attack.
