Early last Sunday evening (12/14/2025), AlertsUSA subscribers were informed of a mass casualty shooting that had just unfolded at one of Australia's most popular seaside areas, the white-sand, crescent-shaped Bondi Beach in eastern Sydney. The attack targeted the annual "Chanukah by the Sea" event, a large outdoor celebration marking the first night of the religious holiday.
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In this incident, as families gathered at Archer Park park near Bondi Pavilion to light a menorah symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness during a time of Jewish persecution, two gunmen—a father-and-son duo named Sajid Akram, aged 50, and Naveed Akram, aged 24—arrived nearby armed with legally obtained rifles and shotguns. The attackers positioned themselves on a pedestrian footbridge overlooking the area and began firing indiscriminately into the crowd below, deliberately targeting the Jewish gathering. The assault killed 15, including a 10-year-old girl, an elderly Holocaust survivor, and non-Jewish attendees joining in the religious celebration. Forty-two others were wounded, many gravely.
A local bystander courageously charged the elder gunman and wrestled his rifle away despite being shot multiple times. This shooter was then engaged by a responding officer and killed. Minutes later, the younger Akram was critically wounded and subdued by officers. He is in stable condition and expected top survive
Thus far, Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act.
Philippines / Islamic State Connection
According to investigators, prior to the Bondi Beach assault, Sajid and his son had traveled to the Philippines from November 1 to November 28. They arrived in Manila before proceeding south to Mindanao Island—a region plagued by Islamist insurgents, including groups like Abu Sayyaf which have long pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Security sources allege the pair received "military-style training" there, honing skills evident in Naveed's proficient rifle handling during the attack.
Philippine authorities have denied confirmed training links, rejecting portrayals of the country as an ISIS hotspot, but the trip's timing and location raise grave concerns about radical connections. Further evidencing Islamic State influence, police recovered two homemade Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices from the attackers' vehicle at the Bondi Beach scene. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the massacre was "motivated by Islamic State ideology," with no evidence of a broader cell.
That said, on Thursday in Sydney's Liverpool suburb, Australian tactical police conducted a dramatic counter-terrorism operation, ramming two vehicles to intercept seven young men aged 19–24 traveling in a convoy from Melbourne. Intelligence indicated a possible violent act was being planned, with some suggesting another strike on Bondi Beach. Heavily armed officers in camouflage swiftly subdued the suspects, zip-tying them roadside, then moving them to another location amid the high-threat environment.
Deputy Commissioner David Hudson noted the men held "extremist Islamic ideology" similar to the Bondi shooters, though no direct link was found to that incident. Detained under preventative terrorism powers for questioning, all seven were released without charges by December 19, but remain "monitored."
Security Increasing at Religious Sites
Within a few hours of the Bondi Beach attack, AlertsUSA subscribers were also notified via SMS messages that synagogues, Jewish community centers, and schools across North America and Europe were on heightened alert and increasing security measures. Major cities have ramped up protections for synagogues, public menorah lightings, and Hanukkah events, reflecting a firm stance against radical hatred.
In Berlin, police intensified security measures at the Brandenburg Gate menorah lighting. London’s Metropolitan Police have increased patrols and community engagement, while France and Poland have reinforced security at Jewish places of worship and Christian sites. Police in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles have also deployed additional resources.
Islamic State Praises Attack
In a chilling display of barbarism, the Islamic State has gleefully celebrated the Bondi Beach attack. In its weekly Al-Naba newsletter dated December 18, ISIS hailed the father-son perpetrators as "heroes" and "the pride of Sydney," praising their independent response to the group's global calls to target Jews. The editorial glorified the massacre as a "source of pride," noting how a joyful Festival of Lights was turned into mourning, while boasting of its successful online incitement strategy that inspires such atrocities with minimal resources. Though not formally claiming responsibility, ISIS used the attack as propaganda to urge further violence against Jews and Christians. |
