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Sydney Shooting Leaves 16 Dead, 40 Injured; Terror Investigation Underway

By The South Asia Times

Sydney, Australia – A mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney’s east on Sunday evening has left 16 people dead and 40 injured, prompting a full-scale terror investigation by New South Wales authorities.

The incident occurred around 6:40 pm when emergency services were called to reports of a shooting in a public area. Police responding from the Eastern Suburbs Command and specialist units located two men armed with long firearms firing into crowds, NSW police said in a statement.

Officers exchanged fire with the shooters, during which a constable and a probationary constable were injured.

One shooter, a 50-year-old man, was shot by police and died at the scene. The second, a 24-year-old man, was critically injured and taken to hospital under police guard. Authorities confirmed that the two men were known to each other.

In addition to the 50-year-old shooter, 14 victims died at the scene, while two more – a 10-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man – later died in hospital. Victims’ ages range between 10 and 87. Six remain in critical condition, and 27 are in serious but stable condition.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon APM has declared the attack terror-related. The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), comprising NSW Police, Australian Federal Police, ASIO, and the NSW Crime Commission, has launched Operation Arques.

Police have seized multiple firearms and three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the scene and two nearby homes in Bonnyrigg and Campsie. Forensic examinations are ongoing. A critical incident team from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad has established Strike Force Belen to investigate police involvement, with oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission