Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that the deadly Bondi Beach attack, which left 15 people dead and many others injured, was motivated by Islamic State (ISIS) ideology. The shooting, carried out by father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram on Sunday evening during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, is among the deadliest mass shootings in recent Australian history.

Albanese described the attackers as being radicalized by a “hateful ideology” connected to ISIS. He noted that the pair’s actions appeared aimed at spreading fear within the Jewish community, though details of their broader motivations are still under investigation.

Authorities revealed that the attackers had traveled to the Philippines in November, reportedly spending most of the month in Davao, a southern province with a history of Islamist insurgency. 

Australian media reports suggest that investigators are examining whether the Akram duo met extremists during their trip.

Immigration records show that Sajid Akram was an Indian national while his son Naveed was an Australian citizen. Following the attack, police discovered a car registered to Naveed near Bondi Beach containing improvised explosive devices and two homemade ISIS flags.

Albanese also acknowledged questions regarding intelligence oversight, noting that Naveed Akram had previously been on the radar of Australia’s intelligence agencies in 2019, though he was not deemed an imminent threat. Authorities had interviewed him, his family, and associates at the time.

The investigation is ongoing, with police and security agencies working to determine whether earlier interventions could have prevented the tragedy. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of confronting extremist ideologies and reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to protecting all communities from acts of terror.