Bondi attack revives specter of Abu Sayyaf group

The father-and-son duo suspected of launching the deadly attack on Jews attending a religious festival on one of Australia’s most iconic beaches had received “military-style training” in the Philippines, where they spent most of November, Australia’s public broadcaster reported. ABC have reported citing security sources.

At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured when Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, went on a rampage during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Sajid was later killed in a police action.

According to the Philippines Bureau of Immigration, the two had indicated the southern city of Davao as their final destination during their visit. Philippine authorities denied claims that the pair underwent any form of militant training while in the country.

Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro, citing a statement from the National Security Council, said there was “no validated report or confirmation that individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any training in the Philippines.” AFP reported.

Read: Australia charges Bondi Beach gunman with murder and terrorism

“The government strongly rejects the sweeping statement and misleading characterization of the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot,” Castro said, adding that militant groups in Mindanao are currently fragmented and significantly degraded, while acknowledging the region’s long history of conflict and the presence of residual armed elements.

The attackers’ connection to the Philippines has revived the specter of the Abu Sayyaf Group, the jihadist organization notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and its former association with ISIS affiliates in Southeast Asia.

Although sustained counter-terrorism efforts have decimated the Abu Sayyaf group, analysts warn that its legacy of fostering militant networks keeps Mindanao vulnerable to transnational extremist influence, according to Conflict Monitor, a web-based weekly bulletin that offers rigorous analysis of terrorism, political violence and emerging conflict hotspots across the globe.

“Abu Sayyaf [Group] is not a hypothetical threat. It is a group with a proven record of mass kidnappings, beheadings and international hostage killings, operating in the very spaces where state control has historically been weakest,” says Dr. Manzar Zaidi, a security analyst with expertise in analyzing radical groups.

“If there were ever to be radicalized Australians looking for mentorship from a violent group nearby, this would be an excellent candidate,” adds Dr. Zaidi, who is also the founder of Conflict Monitor.

The Abu Sayyaf Group was founded by Filipino Islamist militant Khadaffy Abubakar Janjalani, who blended Salafi-jihadist ideology with local Tausug separatist grievances against Christian Filipino settlers, Conflict Monitor said.

“Unlike the secular Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Abu Sayyaf [Group] advocated the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Early funding came from Osama bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, who established direct al Qaeda connections. This ideological foundation fused international jihadist theology with local ethnic and religious tensions and created a potent militant organization.”

The Abu Sayyaf group is exploiting poverty, unemployment and educational deficits in Muslim-majority areas of Mindanao, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “Recruitment typically targets young men from fishing and farming communities with limited economic opportunities,” they add. “Economic desperation often outweighs the ideological commitment to maintaining the group’s workforce.”

Read more: The Philippine Militant Group Abu Sayyaf: Who Are They?

According to the Associated Press Counter-Terrorism Analysis, the Abu Sayyaf Group kidnapped several hostages from the resort of Dos Palmas, including American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, in May 2001. The prolonged captivity ended with Martin Burnham’s death during a rescue operation, sending shockwaves globally. This incident marked the start of direct US military involvement in Philippine counterterrorism efforts and elevated the Abu Sayyaf group to the highest level of international terrorist threat.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the Bondi attack was motivated by Islamic State ideology. “It appears that this was motivated by the ideology of the Islamic State,” he said. “The ideology that has existed for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hatred, and in this case, a readiness to engage in mass murder.”

Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, who was formerly the head of the Abu Sayyaf Group, pledged allegiance to ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014 and was appointed Amir for Southeast Asia. According to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, the affiliation brought new funding, recruitment propaganda and foreign jihadist volunteers.

“Integration into ISIS’s global structure enhanced the Abu Sayyaf [Group]’s legitimacy, resources and operational guidance, transforming a regional insurgency into a hub of international terrorist networks,” it added.

“Abu Sayyaf [Group]’s lethality lies not only in its brutality, but in its adaptability. From the Dos Palmas massacre to its formal alignment with ISIS, the group has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to absorb global jihadist currents while sustaining local violence through ransom economies and maritime terrorism. Indoctrinating foreigners is not too much of a problem for such a group.”

On the current leadership of the group, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reports that Radullan Sahiron – now wheelchair-bound – remains the top commander of the Abu Sayyaf group, which controls operations on Sulu Island. He maintains influence through kinship and tribal networks. His faction prioritizes kidnapping-for-ransom activities over ideological terrorism, reflecting a pragmatic criminal leadership model focused on financial sustainability.

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The Abu Sayyaf Group’s maritime operations span millions of square kilometers across the Sulu and Celebes seas, based on a regional maritime security assessment presented at a recent ASEAN defense ministers’ meeting.

“Hundreds of maritime workers have been kidnapped, disrupting regional shipping routes. Insurance premiums for ships transiting these waters have soared, creating a regional security crisis that affects international trade and necessitates coordinated multinational responses,” it added.

The Philippine military has deployed tens of thousands of troops across Mindanao in ongoing counter-terrorism operations. Dense jungle terrain and local sympathizer networks provide an effective sanctuary for militants. Although hundreds of Abu Sayyaf group fighters have been killed, the core leadership remains intact, highlighting the ongoing challenges of counterinsurgency warfare.

The Philippine Anti-Cybercrime Group says the group uses encrypted messaging apps and social media for recruitment and coordination. “Propaganda videos are used to intimidate local populations, while cryptocurrency transactions have emerged in ransom negotiations. Digital tools have expanded the group’s reach and require advanced cyber-countermeasure capabilities,” it adds in its latest digital terrorism assessment.

While it is not yet fully established that the Bondi attackers, who were of Indian descent, received militant training in the Philippines, Dr. Zaidi that he would not be surprised if the link with the Abu Sayyaf group is established.

“If it ever emerges that the Bondi attackers sought ideological conditioning or tactical exposure in Southeast Asia, the Abu Sayyaf will [Group] remains the most plausible suspect – not because of conjecture, but because of its longstanding role as one of the most violent and internationally connected militant organizations in the region,” he adds.