Bondi Beach gunmen identified as father-son duo of Pakistani origin

The two armed gunmen, who killed at least 16 people during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach in Australia's Sydney, have been identified as a father-son duo of Pakistani origin.

The father was identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his son was 24-year-old Naveed Akram, according to local police. While Sajid was neutralised by Australian law enforcement agencies, Naveed was captured. The duo originally hailed from Pakistan, according to people familiar with the matter.

New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a press conference that the father was a licensed firearms holder and had six firearms licensed to him. He said the police were investigating whether the two were linked to an extremist group, as a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was recovered from their car.


"That's all part of the investigation. As I just said before, I'd rather not comment on that right at the moment," Lanyon told reporters when asked whether the duo belonged to ISIS. "Obviously, we will look at the motives behind this attack and I think that's really important as part of the investigation. Our investigation will be thorough and we will be happy to provide further information."