Father-son duo of Indian origin ‘received military-style training’ in Philippines
A screengrab from a user-generated video shows beachgoers fleeing Sydney’s Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire. Photo: AFP
The father-and-son duo suspected of unleashing the deadly attack on Jewish people attending a religious festival at one of Australia’s most iconic beaches had received “military-style training” in the Philippines, where they spent most of November, Australia’s public broadcaster ABC has reported, citing security sources.
At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured when Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, went on a rampage during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Sajid was later killed in a police operation.
According to the Philippines Bureau of Immigration, the two had listed the southern city of Davao as their final destination during their visit. Philippine authorities rejected claims that the pair underwent any form of militant training while in the country.
Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro, citing a statement from the National Security Council, said there was “no validated report or confirmation that individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines,” AFP reported.
Read: Australia charges Bondi Beach gunman with murder, terrorism
“The government strongly rejects the sweeping statement and the misleading characterisation of the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot,” Castro said, adding that militant groups in Mindanao are currently fragmented and significantly degraded, while acknowledging the region’s long history of conflict and the presence of residual armed elements.
The attackers’ Philippines connection has resurrected the spectre of Abu Sayyaf, the jihadist organisation notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and its past alignment with ISIS affiliates in Southeast Asia.
Although sustained counterterrorism efforts have degraded the Abu Sayyaf Group, analysts warn its legacy in fostering militant networks keeps Mindanao vulnerable to transnational extremist influence, according to Conflict Monitor, a web-based weekly bulletin offering rigorous analysis of terrorism, political violence, and emerging conflict hotspots across the globe.
“Abu Sayyaf is not a hypothetical threat. It is a group with a proven record of mass kidnappings, beheadings, and international hostage killings, operating in precisely the spaces where state control has historically been weakest,” says Dr Manzar Zaidi, a security analyst with expertise in analysing radical groups.
“If there were ever going to be radicalised Australians looking for mentorship from a violent group nearby, this would be a prime candidate,” adds Dr Zaidi, who is also founder of Conflict Monitor.
Abu Sayyaf Group was founded by Filipino Islamist militant Khadaffy Abubakar Janjalani who blended Salafi-jihadist ideology with local Tausug separatist grievances against Christian Filipino settlers, states Conflict Monitor.
“Unlike the secular Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Abu Sayyaf advocated the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Early funding came from Osama bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, establishing direct al Qaeda connections. This ideological foundation merged international jihadist theology with local ethnic and religious tensions, creating a potent militant organisation.”
Abu Sayyaf exploits poverty, unemployment, and educational deficits in Muslim-majority areas of Mindanao, as per the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “Recruitment typically targets young men from fishing and farming communities with limited economic opportunities,” they add. “Economic desperation often outweighs ideological commitment in sustaining the group’s manpower.”
Read More: Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf: Who are they?
According to the Associated Press Counter-Terrorism Analysis, Abu Sayyaf kidnapped multiple hostages from the Dos Palmas resort, including American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, in May 2001. The prolonged captivity ended with Martin Burnham’s death during a rescue operation, sending shockwaves globally. This incident marked the start of direct US military involvement in Philippine counter-terrorism efforts and elevated the Abu Sayyaf Group to the highest tier of international terrorist threats.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the Bondi attack was motivated by the Islamic State ideology. “It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology,” he said. “The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder.”
Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, who was formerly the leader of Abu Sayyaf Group, pledged allegiance to ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014 and was designated Amir for Southeast Asia. According to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, the affiliation brought new funding, recruitment propaganda, and foreign jihadist volunteers.
“Integration into ISIS’s global structure enhanced Abu Sayyaf’s legitimacy, resources, and operational guidance, transforming a regional insurgency into a node of international terrorist networks,” it added.
“Abu Sayyaf’s lethality lies not only in its brutality but in its adaptability. From the Dos Palmas massacre to its formal alignment with ISIS, the group has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to absorb global jihadist currents while sustaining local violence through ransom economies and maritime terrorism. Indoctrinating foreigners is not too big an issue for such a group.”
About the current leadership of the group, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism states that Radullan Sahiron — now wheelchair-bound — remains the most senior Abu Sayyaf commander, controlling operations on Sulu Island. He maintains influence through kinship and tribal networks. His faction prioritises kidnap-for-ransom activities over ideological terrorism, reflecting a pragmatic criminal leadership model focused on financial sustainability.
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Abu Sayyaf Group’s maritime operations span millions of square kilometres across the Sulu and Celebes Seas, based on a regional maritime security assessment presented at a recent ASEAN defence ministers meeting.
“Hundreds of maritime workers have been kidnapped, disrupting regional shipping routes. Insurance premiums for vessels transiting these waters have risen sharply, creating a regional security crisis that affects international commerce and necessitates coordinated multinational responses,” it added.
The Philippine military has deployed tens of thousands of troops across Mindanao in sustained counter-terrorism operations. Dense jungle terrain and local sympathiser networks provide effective sanctuary for militants. Although hundreds of Abu Sayyaf fighters have been killed, core leadership remains intact, highlighting persistent challenges of counter-insurgency warfare.
Philippine Anti-Cybercrime Group says that the group uses encrypted messaging apps and social media for recruitment and coordination. “Propaganda videos are used to intimidate local populations, while cryptocurrency transactions have appeared in ransom negotiations. Digital tools have expanded the group’s reach, demanding advanced cyber counter-terrorism capabilities,” it adds in its latest digital terrorism assessment.
Although it has not been fully established yet that the Bondi attackers, who were of Indian descent, received militant training in the Philippines, Dr Zaidi says he wouldn’t be surprised if the link with Abu Sayyaf Group is established.
“If it ever emerges that the Bondi attackers sought ideological conditioning or tactical exposure in Southeast Asia, Abu Sayyaf remains the most plausible suspect — not because of conjecture, but because of its longstanding role as one of the most violent and internationally connected militant organisations in the region,” he adds.
