Murray Olds: Australian correspondent on the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi beach

Australian authorities say no stone will be left unturned as the country confronts a terrorist attack on one of the country's most famous beaches.

Sixteen people are dead and more than 40 injured - after two gunmen dressed in black opened fire at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration last night, just before 9pm NZT.

It's being treated as a terror event deliberately targeting Sydney's Jewish population. 

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says tributes are flooding in following the incident - and investigations are ongoing. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Sixteen people have been confirmed dead, while forty remain in
hospital after a terror attack against Australia's Jewish community. Just
before nine pm New Zealand Time two government open fire
on a crown of one hundreds attending a Honaker celebration
at Bondai Beach. For the latest, we are joined by
our Australian correspondent Murray Olds. Very good afternoon, Jim Murray, Yeah,

(00:38):
Hi man Hi Tyligan y afternoon. So what is the latest, Murray?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, there's been a budge of developments this morning. We
had our political leaders, police leaders and so on. This
morning we had the Prime Minister, we had the Premier
review South Wales, brand new police commissioner, and just in
the last few minutes we've confirmed that one of the
victims was a rabbi. He only became a father again.

(01:04):
Last month, the ABC's learned of the identities of five
of the victims. Two were rabbis. We understand that visiting
French Jewish fellow from France was visiting. He died on
the beach as well. Along with two others. As you said,
sixteen people died in total. One of them was the gunment.
He was shot dead by police. A fifty year old father.

(01:27):
His twenty four year old son was shot and wounded
by police. He's critical he remains in hospital. Alex Ribchen
is one of Australia's Jewish leaders, lives in Sydney and
he rushed a Bondai beach, I mean Bondai Beach. For
goodness sake, it was a beautiful evening, I mean gone on.
We all know Bondai Beach. It was up the northern end,

(01:49):
and you know there was a crowded Jewish kids celebrating
the first night of Hanuka. And these two clowns have
turned up and hopped on the little overbridge and opened fire.
And Alex Ribchin, as I said, he's one of the
the leaders of Australia's Jewish community, he high tailed it
down to Bondai when news broke of the attack, praying

(02:09):
that Rabbi Eli Schlanger was not among the dead because
he was an absolute beacon apparently in the Jewish community,
as I say, a dad only a month ago. Anyway,
he is among the dead, and they're being born today.
Fifteen in total killed by these two gunmen. Sajid Akram
is the father. He was shot and killed by police
at the scene, twenty four year old son Navid. He

(02:32):
remains in hospital, as I said, critical condition. There's a
whole bunch of other things I can go through with
you lads if you like. We've got in hospital as well.
The Bondai massacre hero. This guy extraordinary. We've all seen
the vision. Ahmed al Ahmed his name. He is the
owner of a fruit shop down in southern Sydney. Happened

(02:54):
to be at Bondai Beach apparently with the family yesterday.
Now he didn't run away like so many people. They
just ran for their lives. They high tailed up off
the beach, straight across Campbell Parade and into whatever you know,
heidy hole they could find. It could be a cafe,
could be a bar, it could be a restaurant. Not
this fellow, Ahmed al Ahmed. He snuck up on the

(03:16):
on the second gunment and jumped him. He just came
running and we've all seen the business. Extraordinary, it's absolute breathtaking.
And so he was apparently shot twice, not badly hurt,
but he was he was hit bad enough to go
to hospital. He's been actually honored by in Israel. He's

(03:38):
now righteous among the Nations, which is a term that's
apparently reserved for non Jews who risked their life an extraordinary,
extraordinary courage.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, absolutely, how did he because I'm trying to work
out exactly. You know, I've watched the footage a lot,
So how was he shot during that that heroaric, heroic act.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
That we look. I don't know he he's taken the
shotgun off the It looks like a fart because the son,
you know, the younger man, was back on the bridge right,
and it looks like the father now whether or not
the son is open fire as his dad was running
back towards towards the bridge, and this fellow, Ahmed al

(04:21):
Ahmed was he was back behind that tree with the
shotgun up against the tree. So I guess the idea
is he must have he must have been wounded, perhaps
long distance. We don't know exactly precisely, but apparently he
is in hospital but not critical. Forty others are in
hospital as we know. The two people died of a night,

(04:44):
a ten year old girl and a forty year old man.
The ages of the victims ten to eighty seven. We
understand one man died in the beach. He survived the
Holocaust and he died with his wife of more than
fifty years. You've got The Jewish Board of Deputies has
confirmed it's recommended to every synagogue, every childcare center, every

(05:07):
kosher strant and Sydney please stay shut until further notice.
The celebrations marking the first day of Hunaka, the Jewish holiday,
canciled in many Australian cities last night. The two gun
and we understand based in a Campsy airbn B before
the attack. Now police rate of that property this morning

(05:29):
that earlier rate of the family home at Bonnirig, also
in southwest Sydney. So there must have been planning this
for a while. I've gone there to the teeth. The
father was a licensed gun owner. He had six weapons
registered with police and they've recovered six weapons as well.
And the political side of things, well, the Primary of

(05:50):
New South Wales has come out and said listen, everybody
who who cares about you know, societal cohesion, and so
I put your arms around the Jewish community today down
to Alberanzi of course has been lashed by the Jewish
leadership in Israel. Benjaminette. Yahoo didn't mess nor to the
Israeli President Anthony Alberanezi will not bite today other than

(06:12):
to say all Australians condemned this attack. But you know
the federal government, it's you know, the players. The nose
in your face has been accused for the last two years,
ever since that herickic attack in southern Israel by Hamas.
I'm not doing enough, not doing enough to crack down
on these clowns in society. I mean, Australia is one
of the most multi racial, multi faith societies in the world.

(06:35):
I mean that's everyone's in migrant here unless you're indigenous,
and that this has just come as such a bloody shock.
Everyone's just gobsmacked by what's happened.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
What does this mean for the Jewish community going forward
in Australia.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Well, it's very strong, mat it's a very very strong community.
They get strength from each other, they get strength from
their faith, they get strength from their education institutions, and
they get strength from ordinary Assi's ordinary ozz has got
no problem, no problem whatsoever with Jews, with more with
any faith, I mean, heavens above. We're all human beings,

(07:13):
but some warped and twisted I don't know, ideology perhaps
you know. And I hope to find out, We hope
to find out how these two were radicalized. Perhaps it
was online Asio I know our domestic security agency, it's
the domestic spy organization, if you will, apparently did have

(07:34):
tabs on one of the pair with the younger man,
but nothing was done on that. And this is the result.
And boyere boy, there's going to be some there's going
to be some questions asked at the very highest levels
about how these fellas were not on the radar.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm sure there will be. Murray really appreciate you coming
on and giving us your analysis, and we might catch
up with you a little bit later on this afternoon.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
That's fine, Matt and Tyler to speak to you.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
All the very best, Yeah, and our thoughts going out
to our cousins in Australia certainly. That is Murray Olds
are Australian a correspondent.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
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