Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, alleged Bondi Beach attackers, attempted to travel to Afghanistan but were turned back; probe reveals key details

Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, the father and son duo accused of carrying out a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead and more than 40 wounded on December 14, 2026, attempted to travel to Afghanistan in the years leading up to the massacre, Sky News Australia reported, citing The Daily Telegraph.

According to the publication, it is understood that the duo made it as far as Kyrgyzstan before they were turned back. At the time of filing this report, the motivation behind the trip and the reasons for their refusal remain unknown. The travel plans of the accused terrorists came to light during the investigation into the December 14, 2025 massacre, according to the publication.

"Their travel movements, particularly in that part of central Asia, are pretty interesting,” a police source told The Daily Telegraph. "It’s going to come under close examination in all the investigations," it further stated. "(Afghanistan) is not exactly a spot on the tourism map," another senior source familiar with the investigation said.


Naveed, 24, and Sajid, 50, are alleged to have acted alone, despite travelling overseas to the Philippines in November 2025.

What did the initial probe reveal?

During the initial probe into the Bondi Beach shooting, there was no evidence to suggest that the two accused terrorists received training or underwent logistical preparation before the alleged attack, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett previously told the media, as reported by Sky News Australia.

Initial assessments by the Philippine National Police suggested that the alleged attackers rarely left their hotel room. “They certainly did not spend one month sitting in a hotel room in the Philippines,” a senior police source claimed. Naveed Akram, 24, one of the accused, appeared in court earlier in February 2026 via video link in the Downing Centre local court for the first time since his release from the hospital, AP News reported.

He has been accused of committing the atrocity with his father, Sajid, who was shot dead by police during the mass shooting. The alleged terrorist was transferred to Goulburn Supermax prison in January 2026 after being held at Long Bay Hospital in Sydney's east. Naveed, 24, was wounded, and his father, Sajid, 50, was killed in a gunbattle with police after the attack.