Falcon powers – Amid heightened security alert, Australian police evacuated hundreds of people from a shopping center in Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney on Saturday following a stabbing incident.
The New South Wales Police announced that they had shot a knife-wielding attacker, stating that several people were injured at the crowded Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center near Bondi Beach, which has been closed.
They urged residents to avoid the area. They also confirmed that five people were killed, with others sustaining injuries, some of whom are in critical condition.
While the possibility of terrorism is not ruled out, the police emphasized that the attacker acted alone, according to preliminary information.
They stated that investigations are ongoing to gather further information about the assailant, without excluding any possibilities at this time, including the terrorism hypothesis.
The police spokesperson also highlighted that it was a police officer who was the first to respond and shoot the attacker, emphasizing that she acted swiftly and without hesitation.
Witnesses reported a state of panic at the scene, with shoppers rushing for safety, while the police secured the area.
A number of individuals sought refuge in a supermarket where they remained for about an hour, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
