Leaders condemn Bondi Beach terror attack

Political leaders have condemned what NSW Police have declared a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, which authorities say deliberately targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Chanukah.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said 42 people were in hospitals overnight”, with victims aged as young as 10 up to 87.

“This is a terrible, wanton act of destructive violence,” Minns said, describing the attack as “a terrible, terrible targeted attack on what should have been a joyful event that they have every right to share with their community on Bondi Beach last night”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores”.

“This was an attack deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Chanukah, which, of course, should be a joyous celebration, and the Jewish community are hurting today,” Albanese said.

He said flags would fly at half-mast across the country today “as we pay our respects to all those lost and all those who have been injured”.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he declared the incident a terrorist act at 9.36pm, triggering a joint counter-terrorism investigation with Commonwealth agencies, known as Operation Arques.

“We have progressed at pace overnight with that investigation,” Lanyon said.

He said police were satisfied there were two offenders involved and were not seeking any further suspects.

“At the moment, the offenders are a 50 year old and 24 year old male who are father and son,” Lanyon said. He said the older man was deceased and the younger man was in hospital in “critical but stable condition”.

Lanyon said police executed two search warrants overnight at Bonnyrigg and Campsie, and that the deceased was a firearms licence holder with six registered firearms.

“We are satisfied that we have six firearms from the scene yesterday,” he said, adding ballistics and forensic work would determine whether those weapons were the firearms licensed to the man and used in the attack.

Lanyon said two improvised explosive devices were also found at the scene and were rendered safe by police.

“I believe that they were more rudimentary. I think they were fairly basic in terms of their construction,” he said.

NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said NSW Ambulance received its initial call via police at 6.43pm and had crews on scene within 10 minutes. He said the response involved more than 123 ambulance personnel and that ambulance transported 24 patients in the initial wave.

Morgan said ambulances attended 14 people who were dead at the scene, with a further two people later dying in hospital.

“A total of 42 people attended New South Wales facilities,” he said, noting it was common for some injured people to make their own way to hospitals during major incidents.

Lanyon said two police officers are in hospital in a critical but stable condition, and announced a stepped-up visible policing operation to reassure the Jewish community.

“This morning, we commenced Operation Shelter,” he said.

“Operation Shelter is designed to provide comfort to the Jewish community. We will make sure that we are highly visible at places of worship, places that are known to be frequented by the Jewish community.”

Lanyon said 328 officers would be deployed as part of the operation.

Minns urged people seeking practical ways to assist to donate blood, saying hospitals “need your help. They need blood”.

Albanese said the Australian Federal Police and ASIO were working closely with NSW authorities, and that the Commonwealth would provide the resources required.

“We will dedicate every single resource that is required in responding to this,” he said.

Both Minns and Lanyon urged calm, with Lanyon warning: “This is not a time for anyone to be seeking retribution. This is a time for community to grieve and to heal.”