Sajid Akram was a resident of Hyderabad and had completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in India before migrating to Australia in the late 1980s in search of employment
HYDERABAD (TIP): One of the two gunmen who carried out the horrific mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people during a public Hanukkah celebration, was originally from India and had migrated to Australia more than three decades ago, a senior government official told The Tribune on Tuesday, December 16.
Australian authorities have identified the attackers as Sajid Akram (50) and his son Naveed Akram (24). Sajid was killed during the operation to neutralize the attackers, while investigations into the incident — now being treated as a terrorist attack — are continuing.
Police and government officials in Australia have said the assault, which took place on Sunday, December 14, was driven by Islamic State (IS) ideology. Two homemade IS flags and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from a vehicle registered in Naveed’s name near the beach shortly after the attack.
According to information shared by Indian agencies, Sajid Akram was a resident of Hyderabad and had completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in India before migrating to Australia in the late 1980s in search of employment. He later married a woman of European origin and settled permanently in Australia. Naveed and a daughter were born in Australia and are Australian citizens.
Sajid, however, continued to hold an Indian passport. Sources said he had only limited contact with his family in Hyderabad over the past 27 years and visited India on six occasions, mostly for personal and property-related matters. He is understood not to have returned even at the time of his father’s death. Family members in India have told authorities they were unaware of any radical beliefs or activities and expressed shock at the turn of events. They said they had no knowledge of the circumstances that may have led to Sajid and his son’s radicalization. Indian officials underlined that there is no evidence linking the radicalization of the attackers to India or to any local influence in Telangana. The Telangana Police confirmed that there was no adverse record against Sajid Akram during his stay in India prior to his departure.
“The factors that led to the radicalization appear to have no connection with India,” an official said, adding that the state police were in touch with central agencies and foreign counterparts and would extend full cooperation as required.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the massacre as an act of terrorism inspired by Islamic State ideology and said the country would respond with “the full force of the law”.Authorities in both countries have urged restraint, asking the public and the media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts as investigations continue into one of Australia’s deadliest terror attacks in recent years. Meanwhile, reports have also surfaced that the alleged gunmen were reported to have travelled to the Philippines last month but the purpose of their trip is still under investigation.
Following this, the Philippines’ and Australia’s top diplomats have agreed to “keep each other closely informed” of any developments related to the probe into the incident. Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma Theresa Lazaro and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong made the agreement during a phone call on Tuesday. “The Philippines stands firmly in solidarity with Australia and underscores strong Philippine-Australia cooperation in security and law enforcement matters. We reaffirm our support for efforts that protect communities from intolerance, hatred, and violence,” Lazaro said over X.
(Source: Tribune)
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