Ahmad Al-Ahmad.. Unarmed Australian Muslim Confronts Perpetrator of Bondi Beach Attack in Sydney

SadaNews - Senior officials in Australia praised the bravery of Muslim citizen Ahmad Al-Ahmad, describing him as a "hero", after he managed to disarm one of the attackers involved in the armed assault that took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney, resulting in the deaths of 12 people and injuries to 29 others.

The incident occurred on Sunday during the celebrations of the Jewish "Hanukkah" holiday at Bondi Beach in New South Wales, where the state’s Premier, Chris Minns, announced the death of one of the attackers.

State Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated in press remarks that 29 individuals, including two police officers, were injured in the attack.

The incident received extensive coverage in both Australian and global media, particularly highlighting the courage of Australian Muslim Ahmad Al-Ahmad, who lunged at one of the gunmen and disarmed him, causing confusion among the attackers and facilitating their neutralization.

In a statement from outside one of the hospitals to Australian channel "7NEWS", Mustafa revealed that his cousin, Ahmad Al-Ahmad, aged 43, saved "countless lives when he confronted the gunman".

Al-Ahmad was injured by two bullets during his assault on the perpetrator; he is a father of two and owns a fruit shop in the Sutherland area, and had no prior experience with firearms.

Mustafa added that his cousin passed by the location by chance but decided to intervene immediately upon witnessing the attack, saying: "He is now in the hospital and we do not know exactly what is going on inside, but we hope he is alright."

Social media circulated a video showing the moment Ahmad lunged at one of the gunmen at Bondi Beach and disarmed him.

The video also captured moments of the gunman firing shots, and Ahmad lunging at him from behind, wrapping his arms around him in an attempt to wrestle away his weapon.

The video further reveals that Ahmad was shot in the hand and arm by another gunman, who was likely standing on a nearby bridge.

Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, deemed the incident "shocking and unusual in Australia", according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Minns described the moment of disarming the gunman as "the most unbelievable scene of my life".

He stated: "This man is a true hero, and there is no doubt that many people are alive tonight thanks to his bravery."

For his part, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised all civilians who tried to offer help, referring to them as "heroes".

Albanese added: "Today we witnessed Australians rushing towards danger to help others," referencing Ahmad's actions.

In a related context, Australian Muslim communities condemned the armed attack, with the National Imams Council of Australia expressing in a statement its condemnation of the attack and solidarity with the victims and their families. The council called for accountability for the perpetrators of the attack.