Australian police have contacted Indian authorities to obtain details about the two shooters after the Philippines confirmed that both the key suspects visited the Philippines in November as Indian citizens. Philippines’ authorities have confirmed that the father and son accused of carrying out one of Australia’s deadliest mass shootings at Bondi Beach spent most of November in the Philippines.
Officials in Manila said the two men entered the country together as Indian nationals, and later they departed for Sydney.
Dana Sandoval, an immigration spokeswoman, said Sajid Akram entered the country as an Indian national. She confirmed that Naveed Akram held Australian nationality. Both men listed the southern city of Davao as their final destination upon arrival.
Travel Details Under Scrutiny
Sandoval said that the two arrived from Sydney and stayed in the Philippines for nearly four weeks. She said they left the country on November 28, 2025, traveling from Davao to Manila before boarding a flight back to Sydney.
Earlier, Philippine police and military sources said they were still verifying reports about the suspects’ presence in the country. The confirmation has now clarified their travel timeline and movements.
Focus on Davao and Mindanao
Davao is a major urban center located on the eastern side of Mindanao, the Philippines’ largest southern island. The region has long faced security challenges linked to insurgency and extremist activity.
Armed groups have historically operated in economically disadvantaged areas of central and southwestern Mindanao. However, officials cautioned against drawing immediate conclusions about the suspects’ activities while in the region.
The Philippine military said it could not quickly verify claims that the two men received military-style training during their stay. Earlier reports had suggested possible links to armed groups, but authorities said no confirmed evidence supported those assertions so far.
History of Extremism in the Region
Mindanao has experienced decades of insurgency against the central government. Pro-Daesh militant groups, including the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf, have operated in parts of the island. In 2017, foreign and local fighters seized the city of Marawi, triggering a five-month battle with government forces. The conflict killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents.
Since then, insurgent activity has significantly declined due to sustained military operations. Nevertheless, the Philippine army continues to track and pursue leaders of groups designated as terrorists.
Authorities in both Australia and the Philippines said investigations remained ongoing. They stressed that cooperation between agencies would continue to establish whether the suspects had any operational links during their time in Southeast Asia.
