Metro53 - Sydney: The death toll from a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney has risen to 15. A total of 40 people, including two police officers and the attacker, are injured and receiving treatment at hospitals. Police have announced that the search for additional suspects has been concluded.
According to police, the attackers were a father and son. During the counter-operation, the 50-year-old father was killed, while the 24-year-old son was arrested in an injured condition.
Explosive material was also recovered from the attackers’ vehicle. According to Australian and British media, one of the attackers has been identified as Naveed Akram, a resident of Sydney.
During the incident, a Muslim man named Ahmed restrained one of the attackers in Sydney and attempted to snatch his weapon. Ahmed was injured in the process and is currently under treatment at a hospital.
Ahmed, who helped reduce casualties among Jews by restraining the attacker, is reported to be out of danger. Australia’s Muslim community has stated that there is no room for violence or criminal acts in society.
The Sydney incident has drawn strong condemnation and expressions of grief from the international community, including Pakistan. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sympathy for the victims, stating that Pakistan itself has suffered from terrorism and stands in full solidarity with Australia.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and stands with the affected families, the Australian government, and the people in this difficult time. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack.
US President Donald Trump condemned what he described as an anti-Jewish attack in Sydney. French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also condemned the shooting.
Iran stated that terrorism and mass killings are condemnable anywhere. Turkey expressed condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach and to Australia, while Palestine also condemned the Sydney shooting.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that an Israeli citizen was killed in the firing, which took place during a Jewish religious ceremony.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as distressing and announced a day of national mourning, with national flags to be flown at half-mast.
Meanwhile, India and Afghanistan have started propaganda linking the Sydney shooting to Pakistan. Indian and Afghan social media accounts falsely identified Sheikh Naveed, a Pakistani youth residing in Sydney, as the attacker.
Sheikh Naveed exposed the propaganda in a video message, stating that his images were being misused to spread lies and that he has no connection to any terrorist incident. He said the baseless propaganda has put his safety and reputation at risk and appealed for an end to the false campaign circulating on social media.
