How Did the Bondi Beach Attackers Conceal Their Plans?
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Key Takeaways
Canberra, Feb 11 (NationPress) The individuals responsible for the terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach in December displayed remarkable awareness in concealing their intentions, according to Australia's intelligence chief.
Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), revealed during a Senate hearing that law enforcement and intelligence services were completely unaware of the attackers' plans before the tragic mass shooting on December 14, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
"It seems the alleged terrorists exhibited a significant level of security awareness to mask their scheme. In layman's terms, they went dark to evade detection," he stated.
This horrific attack resulted in the deaths of fifteen individuals, targeting a gathering for the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, marking it as Australia's deadliest mass shooting since 1996.
One of the suspected attackers, Sajid Akram, was killed by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was apprehended and charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and a charge of committing a terrorist act.
In 2019, Naveed Akram was investigated by ASIO for alleged ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State terror cell, but it was concluded that he did not pose a terror threat.
Burgess noted on Tuesday evening that he ordered a review of the prior investigation immediately after December's attack, which determined that the Akrams had no intention of engaging in violent extremism back in 2019.