The world remains shocked by the bloodiest terrorist attack in recent years in Australia when 50-year-old Shahid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Navid Akram, opened fire on Bondi Beach while a Jewish Hanukkah celebration was taking place there, with the death toll at 15 (16 including the 24-year-old perpetrator).
According to the latest information from international media, a father and son originally from Lahore, Pakistan, had been preparing the attack for a long time, using as their base an Airbnb apartment located approximately 30 minutes from the beach where they went on their murderous rampage.
According to police estimates, the 50-year-old and the 24-year-old are believed to have been staying there for the past two weeks preparing for the attack.
The building has already been searched by police officers who have reportedly found improvised explosive devices there.
The ties with ISIS
The most basic version is that the two terrorists had some kind of connection with the Islamic State, with Australia's ABC reporting earlier that ISIS flags were found in the car used by the two terrorists on Sunday.
International media also report that the 24-year-old had studied at the Al Murad Islamic Center, as in 2022 he was featured in a photo in which he was praised for his excellent knowledge of "all the rules of tajweed" — the recitation of the laws of the Quran.
This scenario is reinforced by information from Australia's Telegraph that 50-year-old Shahid and 24-year-old Navid had spent a month in the Philippines, a country considered one of the top extremist centers on the planet.
However, according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the two perpetrators did not “belong to a wider terrorist organization.” Speaking to ABC TV, he said that the “clear briefing” he received from the intelligence services is that “there is no evidence of conspiracy, there is no evidence to prove that these individuals belonged to an organization.” “It is clear that the motivation is extremist ideology,” the Australian Prime Minister added.
The lie in the family
Indicative of the secrecy of the preparations by father and son is the fact that the two of them had taken care to "mud the waters" by telling their relatives that they would be traveling south for fishing.
"He called me (on Sunday) and said, 'Mom, I just went swimming. I went scuba diving. Let's go... eat now, and then we'll stay home because it's hot,'" Navid's mother told The Sydney Morning Herald.
According to the same source, Navid worked as a builder before being fired about two months ago, while his father had a gun license for about 10 years.
The 50-year-old was a member of a shooting club and had a long-barreled weapons license. According to authorities, he was in possession of six firearms, which are believed to have been used in the attack.
The victims
The list of victims includes, among others, a 10-year-old girl, two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a young Frenchman.
The youngest victim of the terrorist attack was 10-year-old Matilda, with her aunt writing on social media: A great tragedy has struck my family, yesterday my beloved niece Matilda was killed in the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach, I don't know how we will endure such grief.
Former police officer Peter Megger also died, after retiring from the force, working as a volunteer at the Randwick Rugby Club and pursuing his hobby, photography.
According to information, the unfortunate man was on the beach on a photographic mission when the armed attack occurred.
How father and son planned the terrorist attack on Sydney beach: The trip to the Philippines, ties to ISIS and lies to the family
Tibor Witzen was fatally wounded while trying to protect his wife from gunfire, with the woman ultimately surviving.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was a father of five and one of the organizers of the "Chanukah by the Sea" event, which was targeted by the gunmen.
How father and son planned the terrorist attack on Sydney beach: The trip to the Philippines, ties to ISIS and lies to the family
The second deceased rabbi was Yaakov Levitan who had worked for a global organization dedicated to spreading the Jewish faith and traditions around the world.
How father and son planned the terrorist attack on Sydney beach: The trip to the Philippines, ties to ISIS and lies to the family
Holocaust survivor Alex Kleitman, 87, was killed while protecting his wife of nearly six decades. As his wife told the Daily Mail, “I think he was shot in the back of the head because he stood up to protect me.”
How father and son planned the terrorist attack on Sydney beach: The trip to the Philippines, ties to ISIS and lies to the family
Reuben Morrison served as an assistant at the local synagogue and was killed while meeting a friend at the fatal event.
How father and son planned the terrorist attack on Sydney beach: The trip to the Philippines, ties to ISIS and lies to the family
27-year-old French Jew Dan Elkayam, whose death was confirmed by the French foreign minister, had moved to Australia to work as an engineer about a year ago.
Source: protothema.gr
