Bondi Beach shooters entered Philippines as Indian nationals, confirms Manila immigration
World
The Philippines confirmed Bondi Beach attackers, Sajid and Naveed Akram, were Indian nationals. Their visit in November included military training, debunking claims linking them to Pakistan.
MANILA (Dunya News) – The Philippines has confirmed that the two attackers involved in the Bondi Beach incident, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, visited the country in November on Indian passports.
According to the Philippines Immigration spokesperson, the two men, a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son, arrived in the Philippines from Sydney on November 1. They departed on November 28.
The Australian police are currently investigating the reasons behind their trip to the Philippines and have already acknowledged that the attackers visited the country. According to Australian police sources, Sajid and Naveed Akram reportedly received military-style training while in the Philippines.
Reports from Indian media suggested that Australian intelligence agencies have reached out to the Indian government to inquire about the attackers and to gather further information on their background.
The Philippines Ministry of Defense has confirmed that local authorities are investigating the attackers' visit prior to the shooting incident at Bondi Beach.
The Philippines has long faced issues with militancy in the southern parts of the country, especially since 2017 when ISIS-aligned militants captured Marawi City, leading to a prolonged five-month battle.
Notably, India and Israel had initially used the Bondi Beach attack as an opportunity to spread misinformation, claiming the attackers were linked to Pakistan. However, this narrative collapsed when the Australian Home Minister revealed that Naveed Akram was an Australian citizen. Additionally, Naveed Akram’s friend clarified to Australian media that his father was Indian, while his mother was Italian.
Earlier, Indian, Israeli, and Afghan media had falsely identified another individual, Sheikh Naveed, as one of the attackers. Sheikh Naveed, however, released a video statement denying any connection to the attack, confirming that he was not the person involved.
Now, with the Philippines government confirming the use of Indian passports by the duo, the claims by India and Israel have been debunked.
