‘Zero tolerance towards terrorism’: PM Modi condemns mass shooting in Australia

Twelve people were killed after terrorists opened fire on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach in Sydney, where more than 1,000 people had gathered

Published on: Dec 14, 2025, 20:12:18 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

New Delhi: India’s top leadership on Sunday condemned a terrorist attack on a Jewish festival in Australia that killed 12 people, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating New Delhi’s support for the fight against all forms of terrorism.

At least two shooters opened fire on a Hanukkah event, where more than 1,000 people had gathered, at Bondi Beach in Sydney. One of the attackers was killed and the other was taken into custody in a critical condition.

“Strongly condemn the ghastly terrorist attack carried out today at Bondi Beach, Australia, targeting people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah,” Modi said on social media.

“On behalf of the people of India, I extend my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with the people of Australia in this hour of grief. India has zero tolerance towards terrorism and supports the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” he said.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar condemned the terror attack in the strongest terms in a social media post. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” he said.

Besides the 12 people killed in what is being described as one of the worst mass shootings in Australia in years, another 29 people, including two police officers, were injured.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as a “devastating” incident, and said it was “a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith”.

He added, “There is no place for this hate, violence and terrorism in our nation.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

Australia

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather major national developments and Karnataka Bandh LIVE.