Sydney Bondi Beach Terrorists 'Meticulously' Planned The Attack: Court Documents

Last Updated:December 22, 2025, 21:55 IST

Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram planned the Bondi Beach attack for months, killing 15 at a Hanukkah event. The incident sparked calls for tougher gun laws.

Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram planned the Bondi Beach attack for months, killing 15 at a Hanukkah event. The incident sparked calls for tougher gun laws. (IMAGE: @sniffsonX/X)

New court documents have revealed that the suspected gunmen behind the deadly Bondi Beach attack hurled improvised explosive devices at the start of the assault and had practised shooting weeks in advance, pointing to months of planning.

Prosecutors allege the attackers “meticulously" planned the assault, carried out reconnaissance at Bondi two days before the shooting and conducted firearms training in rural New South Wales in October.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration on December 14. According to the court filings, explosives—including three pipe bombs and a “tennis ball bomb"—were thrown towards the crowd but failed to detonate.

Planning, Training and Reconnaissance

The documents state that Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, who was later shot dead by police, visited Bondi on December 12 to scope out the site.

Naveed Akram at a countryside location testing his weapon.

CCTV footage allegedly shows the pair walking across the same footbridge from which the attack was launched two days later—an act police describe as reconnaissance for a terrorist act.

Separate video footage from October is said to show the father and son conducting firearms training in a countryside location, firing shotguns and moving tactically. Another video allegedly depicts the two men seated in front of an Islamic State flag, making statements about their motivations and condemning “Zionists," with Naveed Akram appearing to recite verses from the Quran in Arabic.

Weapons and Attack Timeline

According to investigators, in the early hours of December 14, the two men were filmed leaving rented accommodation in Sydney’s Campsie suburb carrying long, blanket-wrapped items. Police say these included two single-barrel shotguns, a Beretta rifle, four improvised explosive devices and two IS flags.

ISIS flag found in the duo’s car.

Later that evening, CCTV shows the pair arriving at Bondi around 6:50 pm, placing the flags inside their car windows before retrieving firearms and explosives. Police allege the explosives were thrown first, followed by gunfire aimed at the crowd.

Fourteen people were killed at the scene, with another victim later dying in hospital. Sajid Akram was shot dead during an exchange of fire with New South Wales Police. Naveed Akram was critically injured, later discharged from hospital and transferred to prison.

He now faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one terrorism offence.

Political Fallout and Intelligence Questions

The attack has intensified scrutiny of the government’s handling of extremist threats. Anthony Albanese has faced criticism from Australia’s Jewish community for not taking antisemitic threats seriously enough. He was booed by sections of the crowd at a large memorial event over the weekend, later apologising and pledging stronger protections and tougher laws against extremism and hate speech.

Further questions have emerged over whether intelligence warnings were adequately pursued. Naveed Akram had previously been investigated over alleged links to a Sydney-based IS cell. Albanese said authorities assessed in 2019 that there was no indication of an ongoing threat.

Concerns have also been raised about how the father and son were able to travel to the Philippines shortly before the attack and how Sajid Akram legally acquired firearms. Calls are growing for a Royal Commission—the highest form of public inquiry in Australia—into the Bondi terror attack, with pressure coming from Jewish groups and lawmakers.

Push for Tougher Gun Laws

In response, New South Wales has recalled its parliament to debate stricter gun control and protest laws. While civil liberties groups and pro-gun advocates have warned the proposals could go too far, Minns said the measures were necessary to protect public safety.

“This is about keeping the community safe," the premier said, acknowledging the concerns but defending the urgency of the reforms.

-inputs from BBC

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