Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday visited Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled and disarmed one of the attackers during the mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, as Australian authorities formally described the attack as a terrorist act inspired by the Islamic State group.

Al Ahmed, a 42-year-old Syrian-born fruit shop owner, was injured while intervening during the shooting at a Hanukkah celebration Sunday that killed 15 people. Albanese said al Ahmed was scheduled to undergo further surgery Wednesday for shotgun wounds to his left shoulder and upper body.

“It was a great honor to meet Ahmed al Ahmed. He is a true Australian hero,” Albanese told reporters after a 30-minute hospital visit with al Ahmed and his parents. “We will not allow this country to be divided. That is what the terrorists seek.”

Albanese said Ahmed’s actions reflected the country’s values. “We are a brave country. Ahmed al Ahmed represents the best of our country. We will unite. We will embrace each other, and we’ll get through this,” he said. 

Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday the shooting was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,” marking the first time officials publicly confirmed their assessment of the suspects’ ideology.

The suspects were a father and son, ages 50 and 24, authorities said. The older man was shot dead at the scene, while his son was being treated in hospital. Investigators said evidence included Islamic State flags found in a vehicle seized after the attack, Prime Minister Albanese said.

Twenty-five people remain hospitalized, including 10 in critical condition. Three are being treated at a children’s hospital.

Those killed ranged in age from 10 to 87. They were attending a Hanukkah event at Australia’s most famous beach when gunfire erupted.

Calls for stricter gun laws followed as details emerged that the older suspect had legally acquired six firearms. Albanese and several state leaders pledged to tighten Australia’s already strict gun regulations, potentially the most sweeping changes since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that led to nationwide reforms.

“The suspected murderers appeared to have no regard for the age or ability of their victims,” Barrett said. “It appears the alleged killers were interested only in achieving a death tally.”

Police are also investigating the suspects’ recent travel to the Philippines. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the pair traveled there last month, and authorities are examining the purpose of the trip and their destinations.

Lanyon confirmed a vehicle registered to the younger suspect contained improvised explosive devices as well as two homemade ISIS flags.

Australian officials said militant groups in the southern Philippines that previously pledged allegiance to Islamic State have been significantly weakened, with no recent indication of foreign militants operating there.

The attack has renewed concerns about rising antisemitism and security for Jewish communities in Australia, as public anger and questions grew over how the suspects were able to plan and carry out the shooting.

Bondi Beach lifeguards were also praised for their actions during the chaos. One on-duty lifeguard performed an ocean rescue as people fled into the sea, while another ran barefoot with a first aid kit from a nearby beach toward Bondi as gunfire continued.

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