Trump calls Sydney shooting antisemitic, urges fight against radical Islamic terror

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (December 17) urged all countries to unite against “evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism” as he commenced the Hanukkah celebrations at the White House, offering prayers to the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney that left 16 dead and several critically injured.

‘Antisemitic terrorist attack’

Describing the Sydney shooting as an “antisemitic terrorist attack”, the Republican leader sent prayers to the people of Australia, including the victims of the attack.

Also Read: Bondi beach mass shooting suspect is from Hyderabad, says police

“Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to our entire nation, to the people of Australia, and especially all those affected by the horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack,” said Trump.

“We're joined in mourning all of those who were killed, and we're praying for the swift recovery of the wounded; some are very horrifically wounded,” he added as quoted by NDTV.

Vows support to Jewish people

Vowing to stand in support of Jewish people, the US President said, "All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism, and we're doing that.”

Also Read: Bondi Beach mass shooting was 'ISIS-inspired', say Australian Police

The remarks come a day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said that authorities had assessed the attack as having links to the Islamic State based on evidence recovered from the scene, including “the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized.”

Officials said the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The father, identified by state authorities as Sajid Akram, was shot dead during the incident. His son, who has not been formally named by authorities but was identified by local media as Naveed Akram, was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Younger suspect out of coma

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the younger suspect came out of a coma on Tuesday. Speaking to ABC Radio Sydney, Lanyon said investigators expected to question him and lay charges on Wednesday.

Also Read: Sydney shooting: Australian PM proposes tougher national gun laws

In the aftermath of the attack, Albanese and several state leaders said they would move to further strengthen Australia’s already strict gun control regime, signalling the most significant overhaul since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, in which 35 people were killed. Large-scale shootings have remained rare in Australia since those reforms were introduced.

‘One suspect originally from Hyderabad’

Meanwhile, the Telangana Police have said that Sajid Akram, one of the suspects in the mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, is originally from Hyderabad.

The Director General of Police’s office, in a statement, said Akram had migrated to Australia nearly 27 years ago and had maintained only limited contact with his family in Hyderabad since then.

Also Read: Police hunt for suspect after Brown University shooting kills 2, wounds 8

According to the police, Akram completed a B.Com degree in Hyderabad before moving to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment. He later married a woman of European origin and settled permanently in Australia. The couple had two children-a son, Naveed Akram, and a daughter of who were born in Australia and are Australian citizens.

The Telangana Police further stated that Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating, mainly for family-related reasons, but did not travel back even at the time of his father’s death. Authorities said there was no adverse record against him in India and that the factors leading to his and his son’s radicalisation had no links to Telangana or local influences.