US President Donald Trump called on nations to form a united front against radical Islam while hosting Jewish Americans at the White House to mark the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
"Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to the people of Australia, especially those affected by the horrific and anti-semitic terrorist attack that took place on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney... All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism," Trump said at a White House press briefing on Wednesday, days after two Muslim gunmen killed 15 people in one of the worst mass shootings in Australia.
The attack took place at Bondi Beach on Sunday, where a large number of Jewish people were attending a Hanukkah gathering. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire during a Jewish festival at the iconic beach.
Sydney mass shooting leaves 15 dead
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation. Authorities said the shooters were a father and his son.
The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular beaches came after a wave of antisemitic attacks that has unsettled the country over the past year, although authorities said there was no indication the earlier incidents were linked to the shooting on Sunday. It was the deadliest shooting in nearly 3 decades in a country known for its strict gun control laws.
One gunman, a 50 year old man, was fatally shot by police. The second shooter, his 24 year old son, was wounded and was receiving treatment in hospital, New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said.
Police said one of the gunmen was known to security services, but Lanyon added that authorities had no indication of a planned attack.
Those killed were aged between 10 and 87 years, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters. At least 42 others were being treated in hospitals on Monday morning, several of them in critical condition.
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