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Two attackers opened fire on hundreds of Jews celebrating Hanukkah festival on Sydney's Bondi Beach (Photo Source - Reuters)
Jagran News Network, New Delhi. On Sunday evening, two attackers opened indiscriminate fire on Jews gathered to celebrate Hanukkah festival on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. 12 people were killed and 29 others were injured in this attack.
The dead included an Israeli citizen, while the injured also included a child and two police officers. Australian police has termed it a terrorist attack. One attacker was killed by the police and the other has been arrested, his condition is critical.
One of the attackers has been identified as Naveed Akram, 24, of Pakistani origin. Leaders around the world have condemned this terrorist attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
He said India has "zero tolerance" towards terrorism and supports the fight against it in all its forms and manifestations. Sydney is located in the New South Wales state of Australia. State Premier Chris Minns said the attack was aimed at targeting Sydney's Jewish community.
“Our hearts go out to Australia's Jewish community tonight,” he said. I can only imagine the pain they must be feeling right now, seeing their loved ones die while celebrating this ancient festival.'' According to Police Commissioner M. Lanyon, hundreds of people gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate the beginning of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
At around 6.30 local time, two attackers started firing at people. Police say that several suspicious objects found in the surrounding area are being investigated, including an IED found in the car of one of the attackers. Lanyon said the death toll was changing and injured people were still arriving at hospitals.
Chabad identified one of the dead as Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and one of the main organizers of the event. Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish movement. It runs several centers around the world that are popular with Jewish travelers and often sponsors large public events during major Jewish holidays.
Attack on the heart of Australia- Albanese
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra that he was deeply saddened by the massacre. “This is an attack targeting Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah,” he said. “This is an act of anti-Semitism and terrorism that strikes at the heart of Australia.”
The Prime Minister said that officials are working to identify all the people involved in the attack. "Let me make it clear, we will end this despicable act of violence and hatred," he said. “This is a moment of national unity in which all Australians will embrace their fellow Jewish Australians.”
Australia's PM had already been warned - Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, 'This shooting is a planned murder. I warned the Prime Minister of Australia that his country's policies promote anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism spreads when leaders remain silent. You have to take action instead of showing weakness.
British Prime Minister Kier Starmer said that this anti-Jewish terrorist attack is extremely sad. Britain will always stand with Australia and the Jewish community. London police said it would increase security at Jewish sites in the country. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "Anti-Semitism has no place in this world."
Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community and the people of Australia.'' Other global leaders condemning the attack include Italian Prime Minister Georgia Maloney, European Commission President Ursula van der, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Netherlands Foreign Minister David van Wiel.
Incidents increased three times in Australia after Hamas attack
According to official figures, there are approximately 1.17 lakh Jews in Australia's population of 28 million. Jillian Segal, the government's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, said in July that anti-Semitic incidents in Australia have more than tripled since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, including attacks, vandalism, threats and intimidation.
Last summer the country was rocked by anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. These attacks on Jews were carried out in cities where 85 percent of the country's Jewish population lives. Albanese blamed Iran for the two attacks in August and severed diplomatic ties with it.
There are very few deaths in shootings in Australia.
Mass shootings are rare in Australia. In 1996, a gunman killed 35 people in a massacre in the town of Port Arthur, Tasmania. After this, the government made the gun law very strict and it became very difficult for the people of Australia to obtain weapons.
Major shootings this century include two murder-suicides that killed five people in 2014 and seven in 2018, in which gunmen killed their own families and themselves. In 2022, six people were killed in a shootout between police and Christian extremists in a rural area in the state of Queensland.
Saved many lives by snatching an attacker's rifle
A video is viral on internet media. In this, a pedestrian wearing a white shirt is seen running towards a man wearing a dark colored shirt, who has a rifle in his hand. He then grabs the armed man from behind. He snatches the rifle from him and then points the rifle at the same man.
The man in the dark shirt loses his balance and starts retreating towards a bridge, where the second attacker was present. People are calling the man a hero who saved many lives by snatching the rifle from the attacker. This man has been identified as Ahmed Al Ahmed and he too was hit by two bullets.
He is a fruit trader and is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Whereas the attacker from whom he snatched the rifle is said to be Naveed Akram of Pakistani origin. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Ahmed, saying, "He is an Australian hero and his bravery has saved lives."
Pakistani attacker was a student in Sydney
Navid Akram is originally from Lahore, Pakistan. According to internet media reports, he studied at Al-Murad Institute in Sydney. In a license photo circulating online, he can be seen wearing the jersey of the Pakistani cricket team.
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