Bondi Gunmen Received Military-Style Training in Davao, Philippines Before Beach Attack
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Security officials say the father-son gunmen travelled to Mindanao weeks before the Bondi attack, raising new concerns over overseas militant links.
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Australian security agencies have confirmed that the two men behind the deadly Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack travelled to the Philippines for what investigators believe was military-style training just weeks before the shooting.
Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of killing 15 people during the attack. New details suggest the violence was not spontaneous — and may have involved overseas connections.
Trip to the Philippines Raises Red Flags
According to officials briefed on the investigation, the Akrams flew from Australia to the Philippines in early November, shortly before the attack.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed the pair arrived on November 1, declaring Davao City in the country’s south as their destination. They left the Philippines on November 28, returning to Sydney via Manila.
Sajid Akram entered the country on an Indian passport, while his son Naveed, 24, travelled on an Australian passport, immigration officials said.
Alleged Training in a Militant Hotspot
Security sources say the pair later travelled deeper into southern Philippines, where they allegedly underwent militant-style training. Their exact locations and movements in the region have not been publicly confirmed.
Davao sits on the island of Mindanao, an area long known as a hotspot for Islamist militant groups, with insurgent activity dating back to the 1990s.
Investigators Probe International Links
The overseas trip has pushed investigators to look closely at possible international jihadist connections.
Earlier reporting revealed Naveed Akram had longstanding links to individuals within Australia’s pro-Islamic State network, including controversial cleric Wisam Haddad and convicted IS youth recruiter Youssef Uweinat.
Through his lawyer, Haddad has strongly denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the Bondi attack.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, with a growing focus on how overseas travel may have influenced the planning and execution of the attack.
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