SYDNEY - Two alleged gunmen who attacked a Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach had travelled to the Philippines before the assault which killed 15 people and appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State, police said on Tuesday.
The attack on Sunday was Australia's worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years and is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community.
The death toll stands at 16 including one of the alleged gunmen, identified by police as Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot by police. The man's 24-year-old son and alleged accomplice, identified by local media as Naveed Akram, was in critical condition in the hospital after also being shot.
Australian police said on Tuesday both men had travelled to the Philippines last month and the purpose of the trip is under investigation. Philippines police have said they are investigating the matter.
Islamic state-linked networks are known to operate in the Philippines and have wielded some influence in the south of the country. They have been reduced to weakened cells operating in the southern Mindanao island in recent years, far from the scale of influence they wielded during the 2017 Marawi siege.
