CCTV suggests alleged Bondi shooters acted alone and did not receive training in Philippines, AFP says | Bondi beach terror attack

According to current assessments by federal police, the alleged perpetrators of the Bondi attack did not receive training or contact with a larger terrorist cell while visiting the Philippines; Initial investigations indicate that the father and son acted alone.

Sajid and Naveen Akram spent nearly a month in the Philippines just weeks before carrying out the anti-Semitic attack that killed 15 victims at the Bondi Chanukah event on Dec. 14, Australian federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday.

Barrett said he would not yet release full details of police assessments while investigations were ongoing, but said the AFP did not believe the gunmen were directed by a wider network, while the AFP claimed the terror attack was inspired by the Islamic State.

The initial assessment by the Philippine national police was that the men rarely left their hotels and there was no evidence they had trained or made logistical preparations for the alleged attack, Barrett said at a news conference on Tuesday.

But, he added, “I’m not saying they’re there for tourism.”

CCTV footage showing the couple’s stay in the Philippines was provided to AFP.

“What this points to, and I would again suggest that this is an evaluation over time, is that these individuals are alleged to have acted alone,” Barrett said.

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“There is no evidence that these alleged criminals were part of a broader terrorist cell or were directed by others to carry out an attack.”

During the attack, Sajid Akram was shot dead. His son Naveed is accused of dozens of crimes, including 15 murders.

Barrett said police established that the Akrams left Sydney for the Philippines on November 1, visited Davao City and returned to Australia on November 29 – just two weeks before the December 14 attack. He said investigators were still analyzing the evidence.

More details coming soon…