Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, began monitoring one of the Bondi Beach terrorists six years ago due to his connections to an Islamic State (ISIS) cell operating in Sydney, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

On Sunday, Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, murdered 15 people at a Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach. Sajid was killed by the police, and Naveed was wounded and is still hospitalized under police guard.

Sajid arrived in Australia from Pakistan in 1998 on a student visa and later became an Australian citizen. Naveed was born in Australia. Six years ago, he studied Quran for one year at the Al Murad institution in Sydney.

According to Al Murad founder Adam Ismail, Naveed Akram arrived at the center in 2019 and asked to study Quran and Arabic. “As I have done with thousands of students over the years, I gave him lectures in Quran and Arabic for only one year,” he said. “I unequivocally condemn this act of violence and extend my condolences to the victims, the families, and the Jewish community.”

Following the attack, heavily armed security forces raided the family’s residence in Bonnyrigg, in southwest Sydney, as well as an AirBnB property in Campsie where the two had been staying. Investigators from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) believe that the father and son had pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Two ISIS flags were discovered in their vehicle at Bondi Beach, including one that was clearly visible on the hood in footage captured at the scene.

According to ABC, Naveed Akram maintained close ties with El Matari and other members of the Sydney-based ISIS cell, all of whom were later convicted on terrorism-related charges.

A senior JCTT official confirmed that ASIO began monitoring Naveed Akram following the July 2019 arrest of ISIS operative Isaac El Matari, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for plotting an ISIS insurgency as its self-declared Australian commander.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess stated, “One of these individuals was known to us, but not in an immediate-threat perspective, so we need to look into what happened here.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)