Bondi Beach Father-Son Shooter Duo Were Driven By Islamic State Ideology: Australian PM

Last Updated:December 16, 2025, 08:11 IST

The attack on Hanukkah celebrations was among Australia’s deadliest mass shootings in three decades.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a press conference after a shooting on a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who opened fire on Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, were likely driven by “Islamic State ideology," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.

The attack, carried out by the father-son duo, was among Australia’s deadliest mass shootings in more than three decades. Australian law enforcement said the shooting, which also injured dozens, was intended to spread fear among the Jewish community, though authorities have so far shared limited details about the gunmen’s deeper motivations.

During an interview on Tuesday, the Australian PM gave one of the first hints that the pair was radicalised by an “ideology of hate".

“It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology," Albanese told national broadcaster ABC.

“With the rise of ISIS more than a decade ago now, the world has been grappling with extremism and this hateful ideology," he said in a separate interview.

News world Bondi Beach Father-Son Shooter Duo Were Driven By Islamic State Ideology: Australian PM

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