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Australian police said on Tuesday that the two men accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were inspired by the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.
The attack killed 15 people and injured about 25 others, several of them critically injured, making it the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly three decades.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said early findings indicate the shooting was a terrorist attack allegedly carried out by a father and son.
“Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son,” Barrett told a news conference.
Barrett added that the alleged actions were linked to a terrorist organisation and “not a religion.”
“These are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion,” Barrett said, referring to ISIL.
Police identified one of the alleged attackers as Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by officers at the scene. His 24-year-old son, identified by local media as Naveed Akram, was also shot and remains in critical condition in the hospital.
Investigators said the two men opened fire on hundreds of people gathered at the beachside event, with the attack lasting about 10 minutes at one of Australia’s busiest tourist locations.
Authorities also confirmed that “two Islamic State flags – homemade flags – were found in the gunmen’s vehicle along with an improvised explosive device.”
