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Australian authorities have opted to withhold comments regarding the motive behind the alleged terror attack carried out by a father-son pair.
The New South Wales Police reported a rising death toll from the terrorist incident at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach this past Sunday, with fatalities now reaching 16. In total, 42 individuals required medical attention, with two later succumbing to their injuries. Among the deceased are a young 10-year-old girl and an elderly individual aged 87, as noted by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Currently, five individuals are in critical condition, while four police officers are in serious condition due to gunshot injuries sustained during the attack.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon revealed that the suspected perpetrators were a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Akram is currently in police custody after being critically injured, whereas the father was fatally shot at the scene.
Authorities have thus far refrained from releasing details about the suspects’ ethnicity or nationality. Commissioner Lanyon emphasized that the motive for the attack remains undisclosed at this stage.
“We’re in the early phases of the investigation and are committed to sharing information,” Lanyon stated. “Our focus is on allowing our investigators to conduct a comprehensive inquiry without jumping to conclusions. We’ve received a lot of information, and it’s crucial that it is precise… our investigation will leave no stone unturned.”
The police chief did disclose that the 50-year-old man had a license for a firearm for approximately 10 years despite Australia’s strict gun control laws. Lanyon also said that police were aware of the 24-year-old suspected shooter, but did not have any indication that he was planning an attack.
It has also been reported that police have raided a residence tied to the two suspects in the Sydney suburb of Campsie. It is unclear how long the pair have lived at the property, which is believed to have been an Airbnb.
At a press conference, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack at the Bondi beach Hanukkah celebration as an “act of pure evil”.
“This was an attack deliberately targeted at the Jewish community,” he said.
Albanese has faced criticism for refusing to comment on whether the attack was inspired by radical Islam.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “We all know what it is. We all know the Jewish community is under attack.”
Current Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu accused Albanese of having poured fuel on the “fire of antisemitism” in Australia by backing Palestinian statehood in September.
U.S. President Trump denounced the “antisemitic attack” in Sydney while urging Jewish Americans to “be proud of who you are – celebrate proudly” during Hanukkah.
