10 killed in Australia Bondi Beach shooting on Jewish holiday, two in custody

President Zardari, PM Shehbaz express solidarity with Australia

One suspect identified as Naveed Akram

SYDNEY: Ten people were killed and around a dozen wounded when gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, Australian officials said.

One of the suspected shooters in a gun attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday has been identified by police, a senior law enforcement official told the public broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

New South Wales police said two people had been taken into custody, and the ABC said one of at least two gunmen was among those killed.

According to the law enforcement official, the suspect was identified as Naveed Akram, who lives in the Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg.

ABC gave no information on his nationality.

“The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mr Akram’s home … was being raided by police on Sunday evening,” ABC reported.

Around a dozen people were taken to local hospitals after the shooting, a New South Wales ambulance spokesperson said.

Australian police said an “improvised explosive device” had been found in a car linked to a suspect in the deadly shooting.

“We have found an improvised explosive device in a car which is linked to the deceased offender,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a news conference.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident “shocking and distressing”, adding that “emergency responders are on the ground and working to save lives”.

“I saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere,” 30-year-old local Harry Wilson, who witnessed the shooting, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Jewish people who had gone to light the first candle of the Hanukkah holiday on the beach had been attacked by “vile terrorists”.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was appalled by the shooting.

“These are the results of the anti-Semitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the anti-Semitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalise the Intifada’ that were realised today,” he alleged.

One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings.

“If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it’s something of a scale that none of us could have ever fathomed. It’s a horrific thing,” Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told a TV channel, adding his media adviser had been wounded in the attack.

Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and extended their condolences to the victims in separate statements.

In a statement from the Presidency, President Zardari expressed sorrow over the incident, praying for the victims’ families and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

“Pakistan, itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with Australia and condemns violence against innocent civilians,” the statement read.

PM Shehbaz extended his condolences and said Pakistan condemns terrorism in all of its forms.

“We stand in solidarity with the people and government of Australia in this difficult time,” he wrote. Monitoring Desk