标签： Asia

A horrific mass shooting shattered the evening calm at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday night, resulting in at least 12 fatalities and multiple injuries in what authorities have declared a terrorist incident. The attack occurred at approximately 6:40 PM local time when at least two assailants armed with high-powered firearms opened fire on crowds of people.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the tragic death toll, noting that one of the perpetrators was among the deceased while another remains in police custody. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon formally classified the violent assault as an act of terrorism, marking one of Australia’s most devastating security incidents in recent years.

Emergency services responded to the chaotic scene where 16 victims were transported to area hospitals, with several others receiving immediate medical attention on site. Among those injured were at least two police officers who responded to the emergency. Television network Nine Network reported that as many as 20 people may have been shot during the attack.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation identified one of the gunmen as Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s south-west, citing an anonymous senior law enforcement official. Police subsequently conducted a raid on Akram’s residence as part of their investigation.

The timing and location of the attack carried particular significance as many members of Sydney’s Jewish community had gathered at the beach for Hanukkah celebrations, the Jewish Festival of Lights. In response to the tragedy, a scheduled Hanukkah event in Melbourne was canceled, with Jewish communities across Australia placed on high alert.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the Bondi scenes as “shocking,” while Premier Minns characterized the incident as deeply distressing. Authorities have confirmed there is no longer an active threat but continue to urge the public to avoid the area as investigations proceed. Visual evidence from the scene depicted abandoned firearms on the ground and terrified beachgoers fleeing for safety.

SYDNEY, Australia — A horrific attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach has left at least 11 people dead, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger of the Chabad movement, prompting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to denounce the shooting as an act of antisemitic terrorism. This tragedy occurs against a backdrop of escalating religiously motivated violence in Australia, which has recorded 1,713 antisemitic incidents in 2024 alone.

According to Tel Aviv University’s annual report on global antisemitism, Australia and Italy have experienced the most significant increases in antisemitic attacks worldwide this year, even as global numbers show a slight decline. This surge has profoundly shaken Australia’s Jewish community, numbering approximately 117,000 among the country’s 28 million residents.

Uriya Shavit, who oversees the antisemitism report, noted that Australia had historically been considered one of the safest environments for Jewish people worldwide. “Australian Jews are now seriously asking whether they have a future in the country,” Shavit stated, citing increasing legitimization of anti-Jewish rhetoric in public discourse and inadequate governmental response to growing threats.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry issued a forceful statement demanding concrete action: “The time for talking is over. We need decisive leadership to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism from Australia’s public life. Government’s first duty is to keep its citizens safe.”

Most antisemitic incidents have occurred in Sydney and Melbourne, home to 85% of Australia’s Jewish population. In August, Prime Minister Albanese accused Iran of orchestrating two previous antisemitic attacks in Australia, leading to severed diplomatic relations with Tehran. While no immediate connection to Iran has been established in Sunday’s attack, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization had previously concluded that Iran directed arson attacks against a Sydney kosher food company in October and a Melbourne synagogue two months later.

The attack targeted a public Hanukkah ceremony marking the eight-day holiday’s commencement on December 14. Chabad, an international Orthodox Jewish movement known for its public menorah lightings, has held annual celebrations at Bondi Beach that typically attract hundreds of participants. The movement, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, maintains emissaries in over 100 countries and has faced numerous attacks globally, including deadly assaults in Mumbai (2008) and California (2019).

The Royal Thai Army issued a formal condemnation on Sunday against Cambodian military forces for launching rocket attacks on civilian zones in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket Province, resulting in one civilian fatality and property destruction. According to an official statement, Cambodian troops targeted non-military areas including residential neighborhoods and school districts with BM-21 rocket systems on December 14, 2025.

The assault claimed the life of one Thai citizen who suffered fatal shrapnel wounds, while additional damage included the complete destruction of one residential property through subsequent fires. This represents the second consecutive day of cross-border attacks focusing on civilian infrastructure, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing border tensions between the Southeast Asian nations.

Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree explicitly stated that no ceasefire agreements are currently under consideration between the conflicting parties. The Thai military attributes the continued hostilities to Cambodia’s persistent aggression toward both military installations and civilian settlements, which Bangkok characterizes as constituting a severe national security threat.

The Royal Thai Army emphasized that defensive operations will continue indefinitely until Cambodian forces completely terminate all hostile activities. The current military posture reflects Thailand’s commitment to protecting its territorial integrity and civilian population while maintaining the right to self-defense under international norms.