Sydney – Manila: Europe and the Arabs – Agencies

A father and son arrived in the Philippines together on November 1, 2025, with their final destination being Davao City, one of the largest cities in southern Mindanao.

Australian authorities are continuing their investigation into the Bondi Beach attack, where two gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the two suspects, a father and son, were influenced by the ideology of the Islamic State (ISIS). He explained that "it is that ideology that has led to hatred and, in this case, to a willingness to engage in mass murder." In a separate interview, he added that "with the rise of ISIS more than a decade ago, the world has been plagued by extremism."

A tour of the Philippines?

According to Euronews, a Brussels-based news network, media reports indicate that Sajid and Naveed Akram recently traveled to an island in the Philippines controlled by extremist Islamic groups. Naveed reportedly used an Australian passport, while Sajid entered the country with an Indian passport.

CNN, citing Philippine authorities, reported that the two men arrived in the Philippines together on November 1, 2025, with their final destination being Davao City, a major city in southern Mindanao. Authorities added that they departed the country on November 28, flying to Manila before continuing on to Sydney, according to data from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Repatriation.

Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines, has a long history of armed insurgency and is home to several Islamic groups. In 2017, militants loyal to ISIS seized the city of Marawi, leading to a bloody siege that lasted several months. During a press conference on Tuesday, Albanese declined to answer questions about the nationality of one of the gunmen or the details of their travel to the Philippines before the attack, saying, "All of that is part of the ongoing investigation, and it would not be appropriate to undermine it by going into those details at this stage."

Authorities had previously stated that the father immigrated to Australia in 1998 on a student visa, then changed his status to a partner visa in 2001, and used a resident return visa when traveling.

New "Heroic Acts"
Australian Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Ahmed Al-Ahmed, the Syrian Muslim man who confronted one of the gunmen unarmed in an attempt to prevent further casualties, in the hospital. Al-Ahmed is currently recovering from his injuries.

Al-Ahmed, a fruit vendor who came to Australia about ten years ago, was described by Albanese after the visit as follows: "He was trying to have a cup of coffee when he suddenly found himself in the middle of a shooting attack. He decided to act, and his courage is inspiring to all Australians." Dashcam footage also revealed another act of heroism, showing a man and a woman grappling with the attacker as he exited his vehicle before the shooting began. They were both killed by the gunman.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed that the car found near Sydney Beach was registered to Naweed Akram Jr. and contained two homemade flags of the terrorist group, as well as explosive devices.

Mass shootings are rare in Australia, particularly since the horrific Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which left 35 people dead and led to sweeping gun law reforms, including a massive gun buyback program and stricter controls on semi-automatic weapons.