One of the two suspected gunmen behind Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades was an Indian national, Philippine authorities said on Tuesday, as investigators pieced together the suspects’ overseas travel in the weeks leading up to the Bondi Beach terror attack.

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration said Sajid Akram, 50, an Indian national and Australian resident, travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport along with his son Naveed Akram, 24, an Australian national, on November 1.

The two flew from Sydney to Manila and onward to Davao aboard Philippine Airlines Flight PR212.

A bureau spokesperson said the father and son reported Davao as their final destination. They returned to Sydney on November 28 on the same flight route, weeks before Sunday’s attack at Bondi Beach.

Australian authorities are investigating the December 14 shooting as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community during the Hanukkah by the Sea celebration.

At least 15 people were killed, including a 10 year old child, while around 40 others were injured. Five victims remain in critical condition, and two injured police officers are serious but stable.

Officials said it was not clear what activities the pair undertook in the Philippines or whether they travelled elsewhere after arriving in Davao, the main city on Mindanao island.

The region has a history of Islamist insurgency and has previously seen the presence of Islamic State linked groups.

In 2017, Islamic State inspired militants seized parts of Marawi city in Mindanao, triggering five months of fighting with government forces.

More than 1,100 people, mostly militants, were killed and around 350,000 residents displaced in what was described as the Philippines’ biggest battle since the Second World War.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it was validating reports related to the suspects’ travel and was coordinating with relevant agencies on matters involving foreign nationals and potential terrorist links.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was likely motivated by the ideology of Islamic State, though authorities believe the two men acted alone.

Homemade IS flags were found in the suspects’ vehicle, police said.

Sajid Akram was shot dead by police during the assault, according to local media reports. Naveed Akram, believed to be his son, remains in critical condition in hospital under heavy guard.

Police have not formally identified Naveed Akram, 24, as one of the alleged gunmen behind the attack. His father Sajid Akram, 50, was the other gunman who was shot and killed by police, local media reported.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said investigators were still piecing together the background of both men, including their international travel and online activity.

Local media reported that Naveed Akram, called an unemployed bricklayer, attended high school in Cabramatta and lived in Bonnyrigg, where the family home was raided after the attack.

Former classmates told Australian media they were shocked by his alleged involvement.

He had previously appeared in videos linked to the Sydney based Street Dawah Movement in 2019.

The group said he was not a member and condemned the violence. Akram had also studied Arabic and the Koran with a private tutor, who said he unequivocally condemned the attack.

Australian officials said Akram had been briefly investigated by domestic intelligence in 2019 for associations with individuals linked to Islamic State but was not considered to have extremist tendencies at the time.

“In the years that followed, that changed,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.

India’s external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar spoke to his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, conveying condolences and offering support following the attack.

Three Indian students among injured

Three Indian students were among 40 people injured in the terrorist attack on Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia, according to a media report on Tuesday.

Two out of these three students are believed to be receiving treatment in the hospital, The Australia Today news portal reported.

The names of the Indian students injured during Sunday's attack have not been disclosed yet.

The Indian students sustained injuries during the shooting, and their exact condition has not been formally confirmed yet, it said.

(With inputs from Reuters)