Australian authorities have determined that the Bondi Beach shooting that claimed the lives of at least 15 people over the weekend was “inspired” by the Islamic State after finding two homemade Islamic State flags in a car that belongs to one of the suspects.
The flags appear to belong to Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old who allegedly carried out the attack with his father, Sajid Akram, 50, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon revealed at a news conference on Tuesday. The father-son duo traveled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up the attack, the authorities revealed, though the purpose of their trip remains unknown.
“It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters at a Tuesday press conference. “Some of the evidence which is being procured, including the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized, are a part of that.”
“Radical perversion of Islam is absolutely a problem,” the prime minister continued. “It is something that has been identified globally as a problem as well.”
The gunmen targeted an annual Hanukah gathering in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terror attack. Explosive devices were found inside the younger suspect’s car along with the Islamic State flags.
“This was a barbaric attack against Jewish Australians,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said.
The investigation remains ongoing but the authorities currently believe the suspects acted alone and that there were no co-conspirators.
“Clearly it was well-planned. They clearly had thought through the positioning of where they would be on that bridge to give them a higher position than the people that they were seeking to harm. And this was a meticulous, calculated, cold-blooded attack,” Albanese said.
Naveed Akram was killed by police at the scene of the attack while his father, Sajid Akram, survived. He woke from a coma on Tuesday but had not yet been questioned.
Twenty two victims remain in the hospital, six of whom are in critical condition.
Australia’s national Cabinet committed itself to combating antisemitism, after meeting the day after the terrorist attack. The Ministers discussed the current work being done to end antisemitism in Australia, as well as proposed even stricter gun laws in response to the attack, according to a statement.
“Leaders agreed that yesterday’s horrific anti-Semitic terrorist attack has no place in Australia and that the evil scourge of anti-Semitism must be eradicated,” the statement reads.