Australian officials: Bondi Beach shooters trained abroad, motivated by Islamic State Ideology

New details have emerged in the investigation into the Bondi Beach massacre, with senior counterterrorism sources telling ABC that the two suspects underwent military-style training in the southern Philippines just weeks before the deadly attack that claimed the lives of at least 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.

According to the report, Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, traveled to the Philippines in early November and then to the militant-active southern region of Mindanao, where Islamist extremist training has historically taken place. They returned to Australia late last month, shortly before carrying out the mass shooting.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly stated that the attack appears to have been driven by “Islamic State ideology,” noting that investigators believe the gunmen were motivated by the extremist group’s beliefs. Police found two homemade Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the suspects’ vehicle used at the site of the attack, authorities said. 

Albanese called the massacre a "horrific act of antisemitism, a terrorist action designed to harm the Jewish community," in an interview with ABC. 

Australian police have confirmed that Sajid Akram was killed by officers at the scene, while Naveed remains critically injured in the hospital under guard. Investigators are continuing to probe the extent of the pair’s connections to international jihadist networks and their activities during their time in the Philippines.

The emerging timeline, including the Philippines trip and the presence of extremist paraphernalia, has prompted wider questions about radicalization and international militant links, even as authorities have stressed that there is no evidence the attackers were part of a broader terror cell. Albanese said further details would be released as the investigation progresses.