Telangana Police have clarified that the radicalisation of Sajid Akram, one of the accused in the deadly Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, had no links to India or any influence from Telangana. Sajid Akram, 50, a native of Hyderabad, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram are accused of killing 15 people in the attack that targeted Jewish attendees at a Hanukkah event.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the office of the Telangana Director General of Police said Sajid migrated to Australia 27 years ago and maintained only limited contact with his family in Hyderabad. He had completed his B.Com degree in the city before moving to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment.
Philippines travel under investigation
Australian and Philippine authorities are investigating the suspects’ travel to the Philippines last month. Philippine immigration officials confirmed that both men had entered the country, while Australian media reports suggested they may have undergone “military-style training” during the visit.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said investigations were ongoing into the purpose and locations of their stay in the Philippines. He added that no security alerts were triggered at the time of their travel and rejected suggestions of an intelligence failure.
Explosives and ISIS-linked material found
NSW Police said a vehicle registered to Naveed Akram contained improvised explosive devices and two homemade flags linked to ISIS, a militant organisation designated as a terrorist group by Australia and several other countries. Counterterrorism officers also recovered two firearms from a short-term rental property in Campsie, where the suspects were allegedly planning the attack.
Authorities said the pair had told family members they were going on a fishing trip but were instead finalising preparations for the assault.
PM cites ideology of hate
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said initial findings indicated the attackers were radicalised by an “ideology of hate”, adding that the attack appeared to be motivated by Islamic State ideology. He noted that Naveed Akram had come to the attention of intelligence agencies in 2019 but was not assessed as an imminent threat at that time.
Sajid Akram, who held a firearms licence and legally owned six guns, was shot dead at the scene. Twenty-five victims remain hospitalised, six of them in critical condition, as forensic investigations continue at Bondi Beach.