Police have confirmed they are investigating the Bondi Beach terror attack as being allegedly driven by self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group extremist ideology.
Authorities have also revealed that just last month, the two alleged shooters travelled to the Philippines, where jihadist groups still pose a threat.
While it no longer controls any one country, the IS group maintains a presence in several regions and is affiliated with several other terrorist organisations.
The Sunni Islamic extremist group controlled large swathes of Iraq and Syria up until 2019, when it suffered major losses, but maintains an "active presence" around the world, according to the federal government's Australian National Security (ANS) agency.
While they were at the peak of their power in 2014, the ANS website reads, extreme groups like IS can still recruit and influence members through "compelling narratives" online.
What we know about IS and the Philippines
At a press conference on Tuesday, NSW Police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed media that the two alleged offenders travelled to the Philippines last month, but said the purpose of that trip and where exactly they travelled within the country remained under investigation.
The pair are reported to have travelled to the city of Davao on the southern island of Mindanao, where they may have received military style training from extremists.
The Philippines has a "long history" of separatist terrorist violence, according to Levi West, an ANU research fellow researching radicalisation.
"There is a whole range of various factions and sub-factions of jihadist Muslim organisations that operate across the southern Philippines," he told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.
"In the early days of Jemaah Islamiyah, they had sophisticated training infrastructure in the southern Philippines."
Jemaah Islamiyah was first listed by the Australian government as a terrorist organisation in 2002 and is described as a "Sunni Islamist religiously motivated violent extremist group".
West said that if the pair were trained by a terrorist organisation in the Philippines, they would have had to have built relationships before travelling there.
"You can't just go to the southern Philippines and show up at an IS-run training camp and ask; there's a level of connectivity and a set of relationships that you would need to have in place."
The Annual Threat Assessment (ATA), a report compiled by United States intelligence agencies, lists the Philippines as having terrorist organisations that are affiliated with the IS group, but distinct from the regions where it claims authority.
Where is Islamic State located?
The ATA for 2025 lists six IS group provinces, which are not defined by sovereign borders or countries.
These provinces are areas where the group claims authority, according to the ATA.
The Khorasan Province, which the ATA described as the "branch most capable of carrying out external terrorist attacks" is named after the historical region of Khorasan, which was in Iran. This branch of IS is in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, and central Asia.
Source: SBS News
The West Africa Province and Sahel Province encompass the Lake Chad Basin areas of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, as well as the border regions of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
The remaining provinces are made up of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which stretches into parts of Uganda, Mozambique and Somalia.
The ATA makes a distinction between these provinces and IS group-affiliated organisations, which are "reportedly active, albeit reportedly less than" the provinces.
These affiliated terrorist groups are in Bangladesh, Libya, Egypt, and the Philippines.
Radicalisation beyond borders
While IS groups are restricted by geography, radical ideologies can spread beyond physical borders through a "combination of social, psychological, and technological factors", according to Awni Etaywe, a lecturer and researcher in terrorism at Charles Darwin University.
He told SBS News that perceived grievances, social polarisation and disinformation can all appeal to someone who could then become radicalised.
"Extreme organisations exploit online platforms, including social media, encrypted messaging apps, and digital publications, to disseminate high-quality propaganda that appeals to identity, ideology, and emotion," he said.
"Videos, images, online magazines, and even video games are used to create compelling narratives that portray violence as justified, socially rewarding, or spiritually fulfilling, while simultaneously framing governments or communities as immoral or oppressive."
Social media can facilitate a rapid and widespread distribution of radical ideas, enabling recruiters to identify and influence "susceptible individuals".
"As radicalisation progresses, individuals may attempt to influence governments or segments of the community through threats," Etaywe said.
"When someone begins to support or justify the use of violence to advance a cause, radicalisation to violent extremism becomes a significant concern. Once a person becomes committed to violent action, an actual attack may occur very quickly."
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