At least 12 people were killed in a mass shooting in Australia, reportedly including one of the two suspected shooters.
Initial reports indicated multiple fatalities and injuries on Sunday, December 14th, with a nearby ‘Hanukkah by the Sea’ celebration involving 2,000 participants the probable target. Authorities are advising people to avoid the world-famous Bondi Beach area, while police conduct security operations there—both securing the crime scene and neutralising possible improvised explosive devices.
A British tourist told AFP he saw two gunmen dressed in black opening fire with semi-automatic weapons, including at least one pump-action shotgun, near the beach. Video footage shows a member of the public disarming one of the attackers.
New South Wales police confirmed that at least 12 people were killed in the attack—making it one of the country’s most serious armed assaults in recent years—which officials have designated a terror event. Two police officers were reported wounded.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese described the “active security situation in Bondi” as “shocking and disturbing,” praising police and emergency services for responding immediately. “This attack will not go unpunished,” NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press conference.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog condemned what he called a “brutal attack against Jews” and urged Australian authorities to step up efforts to combat antisemitism.
Read on.
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