BREAKING: Major Attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach Leaves at Least 12 Dead on Jewish Holiday

SYDNEY – At least 12 people were killed and a dozen more wounded in a coordinated shooting and terror attack at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, targeting a Jewish holiday gathering. Australian authorities have declared the incident an act of terrorism.

The Attack and Response
The attack unfolded around 9:36 p.m. local time at a beachfront event marking the Jewish holiday. According to New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, at least two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, causing mass panic and a stampede of beachgoers and diners.

“After evaluating the circumstances, I have declared this a terrorist incident,” Commissioner Lanyon stated at a late-night news conference. He confirmed that two individuals are in custody and that one of the assailants was killed during the confrontation.

In a chilling development, police also revealed the discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) in a vehicle linked to the deceased attacker. “We have secured the device, and a full forensic examination is underway,” Lanyon said, prompting a large-scale security sweep of the area.

Chaos and Heroism on the Beach
Eyewitness accounts and videos circulating on social media depict scenes of horror and chaos. Footage shows crowds frantically scattering across the sand and adjacent parks as rapid gunfire and police sirens ring out. In one clip, a man in a black shirt is seen firing a large weapon before being tackled by a bystander in a white T-shirt, who wrestles the firearm from him. Another video appears to show a separate assailant firing from a pedestrian bridge.

Uniformed police were later seen pinning two individuals to the ground on a bridge, with officers attempting to resuscitate one of them. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage.

Harry Wilson, 30, a local who witnessed the attack, told the Sydney Morning Herald, “I saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere. It was pure chaos.”

National and Community Reaction
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the nation, calling the attack “shocking and distressing.”
“Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones and to the injured. Our emergency responders are on the ground and working to save lives,” he said.

The attack has sent shockwaves through Australia’s Jewish community. Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, whose own media adviser was wounded, told Sky News, “If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it’s something of a scale that none of us could have ever fathomed. It’s a horrific thing.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley expressed the nation’s grief, stating, “Australians are in deep mourning tonight, with hateful violence striking at the heart of an iconic Australian community, a place we all know so well and love, Bondi.”

Context and Investigation
The attack marks Australia’s most severe mass-casualty shooting in years and evokes painful memories of the 2014 Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney, where a lone gunman took 18 hostages, resulting in three deaths.

Bondi Beach, one of the world’s most famous coastal landmarks, is typically thronged with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings. The attack has raised immediate and serious questions about security at public gatherings.

A major counter-terrorism investigation is now in progress. Federal and state authorities are working to determine the precise motives of the attackers, any potential links to extremist groups, and whether there are any further threats to public safety.

Hospitals across Sydney remain on high alert, treating victims with injuries ranging from critical to stable. The community has been urged to avoid the Bondi area as the police operation continues.

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