Overview
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the father–son gunmen appeared motivated by Islamic State ideology and there is no evidence of a wider cell after 15 people were killed and dozens injured at a Hanukkah gathering.
- Security sources say Sajid and Naveed Akram travelled to the Philippines in November for military-style training, with inquiries examining potential links to Islamic State East Asia.
- Naveed Akram was investigated by ASIO for six months in 2019 over associations with suspected extremists but was not judged an ongoing threat at the time, a prior assessment now under scrutiny.
- Police recovered multiple firearms and improvised explosives; Sajid was a licensed owner of six guns, four found at the scene and two seized from a Campsie rental, while Naveed remains hospitalised under guard and may face charges when fit.
- National Cabinet moved to tighten firearm rules, and officials have debunked false claims linking the attackers to Pakistan, including a wrongful social media identification.