Photos of passports believed to belong to the alleged Bondi terrorists have surfaced after a month‑long stay in a well‑known terror hotspot in the Philippines, just weeks before Sunday’s mass shooting.
The suspects are Indian national Sajid Akram, 50, and his Australian‑born son Naveed Akram, 24. Australian investigators say they received “military‑style training” in Mindanao, a claim the Philippine authorities are urgently inspecting.
Mindanao, the southern Philippine island, has long been a hotspot for Islamic State militants, with the 2017 siege of Marawi City—a known ISIS‑linked stronghold—highlighting the region’s dangerous past.
Both men flew from Sydney to Manila on November 1, then headed to Davao City on Mindanao, according to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. “Both reported Davao as their final destination,” the bureau stated. They departed the country on November 28 via a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as the end point.
ABS‑CBN News’ photos, released Wednesday, show the passports used by Sajid and Naveed, as well as immigration documents.
Sajid’s passport, issued in February 2022, lists his birthplace as Hyderabad, Telangana, and his residence in Sydney. Naveed’s passport was issued in August 2021, two years after Australian Security Intelligence Organisation first noted his links to a Sydney‑based ISIS cell; it lists Camperdown, the location of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, as his birthplace.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has discussed the matter with her Filipino counterpart but said she could not disclose specifics. “You probably understand I can’t go into all details of our discussion, but I can say that we, Australia and the Philippines, are longstanding partners on regional security and on related matters, and that will continue,” she told ABC Radio National.
Philippine officials have resisted reports that the father and son received any terror training while in the country.
National security adviser Eduardo Año said the pair likely remained in Davao City and that there is “no evidence” they visited Marawi City. He told The Guardian that the investigation is ongoing and that a simple visit does not prove terrorist training; the length of their stay wouldn’t have allowed for any significant structured training.
A spokesperson for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr denied the “misleading characterisation of the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot.” The Philippine military indicated that ISIS‑linked militants in the country number around 50.
Early reports from the GV Hotel in Davao City suggest the father and son shared a room from November 1 to 28. They rarely left the hotel, with staff saying they only stepped out for about an hour at a time.
Hotel front‑desk worker Sayson described the pair as “just going out and coming back. Just the two of them… We never saw them talk to any visitors.” The men arrived with large luggage and a backpack, booked a seven‑night stay online, then repeatedly asked for extensions until checking out on November 28 and were seen walking around the block.
On Sunday evening, shortly before 7 p.m., the father and son drove from a short‑term rental in Campsie, a southern suburb of Sydney, to the eastern suburbs. They parked a silver 2001 Hyundai Elantra on Campbell Parade, displayed an ISIS flag on the car’s window, and allegedly opened fire on Jewish families celebrating Hanukkah at a park near Bondi Beach.
Fifteen people, aged 10 to 87, died. Two police officers were among the injured, with 17 left in hospitals on Thursday. Sajid was shot dead by police, while Naveed was severely wounded, taken into custody, and faced more than 50 charges—including 50 counts of murder and terrorism offences—after emerging from a coma on Wednesday.
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