AP
—
An investigation into the Philippines into two men suspected of gunning down 15 people at a Sydney Jewish festival has found no evidence that they were part of a “widespread terrorist organization,” police said Tuesday.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Chrissy Barrett said Sydney resident Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, spent much of November in Davao City in the southern Philippines.
They returned home on a flight from Manila on November 29. Two weeks later, he was charged with killing 15 people and injuring 40 more in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach.
Barrett said the Philippine National Police determined that the two rarely left the hotel during their visit.
“There is no evidence to suggest that they received any training or logistical preparation for the alleged attack,” Barrett told reporters.
“These individuals are alleged to have acted alone. There is no evidence to suggest that these alleged perpetrators were part of a broader terrorist organization or were directed by others to carry out the attack. But to be clear, I am not suggesting they were there for tourist purposes,” Barrett added.
Barrett did not elaborate on the motivation for the visit, which began Nov. 1.
Police claim the two men were inspired by Islamic State. The southern Philippines once attracted small numbers of foreign militants affiliated with the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda for training in separatist conflicts involving the largely Catholic country’s Muslim minority.
Barrett said she is limited in what she can disclose about the Philippine investigation because she does not want to prejudice Naveed Akram’s case.
He has not yet entered a plea on dozens of charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of terrorism. He spent a week in hospital before being transferred to prison after police shot him in the abdomen during a shootout in Bondi on December 14. Police shot dead father in Bondi.
Authorities have promised the largest ever police presence for New Year’s Eve celebrations on Sydney Harbor on Wednesday. More than 2,500 police officers will be on duty. Many end up openly carrying automatic weapons, a sight rarely seen on Sydney’s streets.
The first police to respond to the Bondi massacre were armed with Glock-style pistols, which had less lethal range than Akram’s rifles and shotguns. Two police officers were among the injured.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the state was not militarizing its police force in response to the attacks.
“Given the worst terrorist attack in Australian history within the last month, it seems self-evident that things need to change and we need to change our security,” Mr Minns said.
“I understand that there are people who are against this and see it as militarization of the police. My sense is that there are far more families who would fully support such police efforts because they feel safer in that environment,” Minns added.
More than a million revelers flock to the waterfront each year to watch the world-famous fireworks display centered on Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Minns said he was concerned that the extremists would interpret the thinning of crowds as a victory.
“This is an opportunity to harshly condemn terrorists and their ideology. Ideology like this is what really makes us live in a ball without celebrating this beautiful city. So this is an opportunity to live your life and show defiance to such ideology,” Minns said.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said four images of a Jewish menorah, known as a menorah, will be projected onto the bridge’s pylons and a minute’s silence will be observed in memory of the Bondi victims at 11pm on Wednesday.
Local authorities had planned to project an image of a dove with the word “peace” on it, but this was changed after consultation with Jewish representatives.
“We will continue to listen to the community to ensure that the horrific attack on Bondi Beach on New Year’s Eve is appropriately acknowledged,” Moore said in a statement.
