Australia has been rocked by a bloody terrorist attack on Sydney's Bondi Beach , where a father and his son opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, leaving 16 victims.
According to authorities, the attack was carried out by 50-year-old Shahid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Navid Akram , originally from Lahore, Pakistan.
They opened fire on participants in the " Hanukkah by the Sea " event, causing casualties among children, rabbis, and innocent citizens.
How was the attack planned?
Preliminary investigations indicate that the terrorist act was planned for weeks.
It is suspected that the father and son had rented an Airbnb apartment about 30 minutes from Bondi Beach, where they had stayed for about two weeks of preparation.
Police searched the apartment and found improvised explosive devices.
Authorities are investigating possible links to the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to Australian media, ISIS flags were found in the vehicle used by the perpetrators, while the 24-year-old had previously studied at an Islamic center and had appeared in materials praising his religious knowledge.
It is also reported that the pair had spent about a month in the Philippines, a country considered by security services to be a hotbed of extremist activity.
To avoid raising suspicion, the perpetrators had told family members that they were traveling south to fish.
The 24-year-old's mother told the media that her son had called her shortly before the attack, talking about routine activities at the beach.
The 50-year-old had had a gun permit for years, was a member of a shooting club and possessed six firearms, which are suspected to have been used in the attack.
VICTIMS
The victims include a 10-year-old girl, two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a French citizen. The youngest victim, Mathilde, 10, was remembered by family members as an irreplaceable loss.
Also killed were former police officer Peter Megger , who was on the beach taking photographs; Tibor Witzen , who lost his life protecting his wife; rabbis Eli Schlanger and Yaakov Levitan ; Alex Kleitman , 87, a Holocaust survivor; Reuben Morrison , an assistant at the local synagogue; and 27-year-old Frenchman Dan Elkayam , who had moved to Australia for work.
Australian authorities have announced increased security measures, while investigations into the motives and possible network behind the attack continue.