Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Australian police said Tuesday that the alleged gunmen in the deadly Bondi Beach attack on people celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah acted of their own volition and did not undergo arms training in the Philippines.
Sajid Akram, 50, and son Naveed Akram, 24, did spend most of November in Mindanao, an area of the Philippines known for Islamist militants, but police said preliminary investigations by authorities there indicated they received no training or "logistical preparation" assistance and spent most of their time in their hotel.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said that officers were in the process of reviewing CCTV footage provided by Philippine authorities but that early stage evaluation of their movements suggested that "these individuals are alleged to have acted alone."
"There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack," Barrett said.
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