The two men are believed to have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which maintains a strong presence in the Indo-Pacific
December 16, 2025 11:03
Australian police are investigating reports that the perpetrators of Sunday’s Bondi Beach terror attack travelled to the Philippines for “military-style training” last month.
Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, opened fire on a Chabad Chanukah celebration in Sydney, claiming at least 15 lives.
Security services believe the two men pledged their allegiance to Islamic State, while Naveed had been known to authorities due to his links to Isis-affiliated jihadi networks in Sydney since 2019.
Police on the scene of the attack also reportedly found two homemade explosives and an Isis flag in Naveed’s car.
Investigators are now examining a trip the pair took to South East Asia in the weeks leading up to the attack, including spending most of November in the Philippines.
Immigration authorities confirmed that they arrived in the Philippines on November 1, returning to Sydney on November 28.
Sajid travelled on an Indian passport and the duo listed Davao as their destination upon entry. The city sits on the east coast of the island of Mindanao, where Islamist militant groups have historically maintained significant networks.
Per ABC, Australia’s national broadcaster, the shooters received “military-style training” during their stay.
Mal Lanyon, commissioner of New South Wales Police, confirmed that the force were looking into the purpose of the trip and the two men’s movements while abroad.
However, police did not comment on the accuracy of ABC’s report regarding militant training.
The Philippines has been a key hub of Isis activity in the Indo-Pacific region since the group’s significant expansion in 2014.
Its activities in the area have largely been connected with the Islamic State of Lanao (ISL), which was founded as the Maute Group by brothers Abdullah and Omar Maute in 2012 but pledged allegiance to the main branch of Isis in 2015.
Since then, the group has orchestrated a series of significant terror attacks in the Philippines, including the December 2023 Mindanao State University bombing, which killed four and injured more than 70.
With Isis affiliates like ISL and Abu Sayaff, which planned the 2020 Jolo bombings, continuing to operate, the country has also become a popular destination for militant training despite its strict immigration policies.
More widely, South East Asia has long been seen as a training hub for Islamist extremists thanks to the relative strength of militant groups in the region, combined with the prevalence of popular tourist destinations, making it more difficult to detect suspicious travel.
Indeed, several of the 9/11 hijackers completed airport surveillance in Malaysia in preparation for their eventual attacks on the US, which were planned at a meeting of senior Al Qaeda leaders in Kuala Lumpur in 2000.
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