ISIS Speech Inspired Bondi Beach Attack

0:00It's March 25. Sydney News Today starts now. AI-powered and ready. Terrorism experts believe a speech from the Islamic State inspired the deadly attack on Bandai Beach last December. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram targeted a gathering of Jewish families during Hanukkah, killing 15 people, and injuring dozens more. The pair allegedly used guns and tried to detonate explosives, leaving behind an Islamic State flag. Officers from Australia analyzed the group's messaging for a report coming out this week from the West Point Combatting Terrorism Center. They point to a January 2024 speech by an Islamic State spokesperson as a direct call to arms. It urged followers to hit easy civilian spots, especially religious ones like synagogues, and to kill Jews and Christians in western countries by any. Brutal means. The attacks stood out because past terror plots in Australia usually aimed at police, but this one matched the speech's focus on Jewish targets.

1:00Experts noted, echoed a similar Islamic State message from 2014 that sparked attacks worldwide, including in Europe, where Jihadist incidents jumped after the Gaza war started. Meanwhile, officials found no proof the Akrams trained with the group or met members even after they traveled to the Philippines. Instead, it looks like a self-inspired strike, with Naveed linked years ago to a street preaching group that brushed against known Jihadists. He was questioned by spy agencies, but cleared at the time. Islamic State praised the Bondi assault in its magazine as the pride of Sydney, saying it followed their advice perfectly. With plots slipping through before, counterterrorism teams warned more such attacks could happen as the group tries to rally supporters online.