Bondi Attackers Attempted Travel to Afghanistan Before Mass Shooting
The alleged perpetrators of the Bondi Beach shooting, Naveed and Sajid Akram, attempted to travel to the terrorist hotspot Afghanistan in the years leading up to the December 14 atrocity, according to police sources. The pair, however, were turned away in Kyrgyzstan, which is separated from Afghanistan by Tajikistan, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Previous Travel to Philippines
It has been known for some time that Naveed, 24, and Sajid, 50, took a month-long trip to the Philippines weeks before they allegedly opened fire at a Hanukkah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated in December that the Philippines National Police found the Akrams barely left their hotel room during that trip.
That information was refuted by New South Wales Police detectives who travelled to Asia to conduct their own investigations. 'They certainly did not spend one month sitting in a hotel room in the Philippines,' a police source revealed.
Afghanistan Travel Attempts
Police investigating the terrorist attack have now disclosed the pair also tried to enter Afghanistan. 'Their travel movements, particularly in that part of central Asia, are pretty interesting,' a police source told News. 'It's going to come under close examination in all the investigations.'
It remains unknown why the Akrams were attempting to reach Afghanistan or why they were denied entry. Afghanistan ranks in the top ten on the Global Terrorism Index's list of most dangerous countries, as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK) has expanded across Asia.
Global Terrorism Context
'Since its formation in 2015, ISK has steadily extended its reach beyond Afghanistan into Pakistan, Iran, Russia and Central Asia,' the Global Terrorism Index's 2025 report noted. 'In Central Asia, there has been an increase in ISK-related arrests and incidents, reflecting both the group's focus on the region and heightened counter-terrorism efforts by governments.'
The report further explained that affiliates of Islamic State in Central Asia were divided between those linked directly to IS leadership in Iraq and Syria and Tajikistan, and those aligned with ISK in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
The December 14 attack is being investigated by a New South Wales Joint Counter Terror Team. Sajid Akram was shot dead by NSW Police officers at the scene on December 14, while his son Naveed remains on remand in Goulburn Supermax and has yet to enter a plea to 59 charges. These charges include:
- 15 counts of murder
- 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder
- Discharging a firearm in public
- Causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist symbol
- Placing an explosive in or near a building with intent to cause harm
Naveed Akram is being held in Area 1, the original section of Supermax which opened in September 2001 and has housed the state's most dangerous felons for the past 25 years.
Family Visit Cancellation
This week, it was revealed that a family visit to alleged gunman Naveed in prison was cancelled at the last minute after officers allegedly discovered a knife and handwritten notes during a security check of a vehicle. The Daily Mail reported this cancelled jail visit was the first Akram's family had attempted since his arrest following the Bondi massacre more than two months ago.
His mother, grandmother, and siblings all underwent extreme security vetting before receiving approval from Corrective Services Commissioner Gary McCahon. The mass shooting, which represents the worst in Australia since 35 people were killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, is being treated as a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State.
