An Indian passport belonging to Sajid Akram, one of the attackers involved in the deadly Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, has surfaced, according to reports by Filipino media outlets.
Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed Akram, opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on December 14, killing at least 15 people and injuring several others. The attack shocked Australia and intensified concerns over rising antisemitism and violent extremism.
Victims included a rabbi who was a father of five, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda Britvan. Two police officers sustained critical injuries and remain hospitalised in stable condition, New South Wales police confirmed.
According to immigration records obtained by ABS-CBN News in the Philippines, Naveed Akram travelled on an Australian passport, while his father entered Australia using an Indian passport. Indian authorities issued Sajid Akram a 10-year passport on February 24, 2022, valid until February 23, 2032.
The passport lists Hyderabad, Telangana, as Sajid Akram’s place of origin. Officials reportedly identified his nationality early in the investigation, although conflicting claims circulated in some media outlets in the immediate aftermath.
Subsequent disclosures confirmed that both father and son held Indian travel documents, contradicting early reports that attempted to associate the attackers with Pakistan. Analysts and observers later criticised segments of the media for spreading misleading information before authorities clarified the attackers’ identities.
🚨 BIG BREAKING:
Authorities have released passport photos of the Bondi Beach attackers. Sajid Akram holds an Indian passport, and Naveed Akram holds an Australian passport.
– Officials stated that the attackers used exact passports to travel Philippines and other countries. pic.twitter.com/DIlojjVBbC
— Zardan Sangzi (@ZardanSi) December 17, 2025In a separate context, The Guardian previously reported that Australia expelled two RAW operatives in 2020 over illegal intelligence activities, including surveillance of Indian diaspora members. The report resurfaced amid renewed scrutiny of transnational security issues.
No Evidence of Training in the Philippines
The Philippines’ National Security Adviser, Eduardo Año, said on Wednesday that investigators found no evidence that the attackers received military or terrorist training during their stay in the country.
🚨IMPORTANT🚨
A leading Singaporean news channel, @ChannelNewsAsia, publicly confirmed that the Bondi Beach attacker originated from Hyderabad, entered Manila as an Indian national and carried an Indian passport
Despite knowing this from the very first moment, the official… pic.twitter.com/UaXyleICon
— Taymur Malik (@BlueMist911) December 17, 2025Año stated that a brief visit does not support claims of structured training. He added that authorities are coordinating closely with Australian officials to establish the purpose of the pair’s travel between November 1 and November 28.
Read: Australia: Bondi Beach Shooting Suspect Charged With 59 Offences
Immigration data shows the two men arrived in Manila from Sydney on November 1 and later travelled to Davao City. They departed the Philippines on November 28 and returned to Australia via Manila. Año dismissed media portrayals of the southern Philippines as a militant hub, calling them outdated and misleading.
