Alleged Bundy gunman acted alone and had no training in Philippines, police say

Australian police say the two gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish event on Bondi Beach were not part of a wider terrorist group but acted alone.

Police also confirmed that 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram traveled to the Philippines on November 1, landed in the capital Manila, and then transferred to Davao City the same day. They returned to Sydney on November 29.

Police said the pair had received no training or “logistical preparations” in the Philippines for the December 14 attack, and early investigations by local authorities suggested they “rarely left the hotel”.

Police declared the attack a terrorist incident, Australia’s worst mass shooting since 1996.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Chris Barrett told media on Tuesday that CCTV footage tracking the movements of the Filipino gunman had been handed over to Australian authorities.

“We are currently reviewing the material,” she said, adding that an initial assessment showed “these individuals allegedly acted alone.”

“There is no evidence that the alleged offenders were part of a wider terrorist organization or were directed by others to carry out the attacks.”

Commissioner Barrett said that the two came to the Philippines not for tourism.

She stressed that as the investigation proceeds, new evidence or information may emerge.

Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said both accused gunmen appeared to be “motivated by Islamic State” ideology.

Sajid Akram, who was shot dead by police in the attack, and his son Naveed, both armed with long-barreled guns, allegedly opened fire on attendees at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah event.

Navid was taken to hospital for treatment after the attack Charged with 59 counts, including 15 counts of murder and one count of terrorist acts He will appear in court in April.

Days after the shooting, Philippine Immigration Services told the BBC that the father entered the country on an Indian passport, while the son used an Australian passport.

Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the pair had declared the southern city of Davao as their final destination and their flight back to Australia was in Sydney.

Davao is a sprawling metropolis in the eastern part of Mindanao, the main island in the southern Philippines. Islamist militants are known to operate in impoverished areas in central and southwestern Mindanao.

Additional reporting by Vilma Simonette.