Death toll climbs to 16 after mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach

By Renju ‌Jose and Lucy Craymer

SYDNEY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Australian police said ‍on Monday ‌that the alleged offenders behind an attack at a Jewish celebration ⁠in Sydney's Bondi beach that ‌killed 15 people, were a father and son duo. One of the gunmen was also killed, bringing the death toll to 16.

It was the ⁠country's worst gun attack in about 30 years.

The father, a 50-year old, was killed ​at the scene while his 24-year-old son was ‌in critical condition in the ⁠hospital, the police said in the press conference on Monday.

Witnesses said the shooting at the famed beach, which was packed on ​a hot evening, lasted about 10 minutes, sending hundreds of people scattering along the sand and into nearby streets and parks. Police said around 1,000 people had attended the Hanukkah event.

Police said ​that ‍40 people remain in ​hospital following the attack, including two police officers who are in a serious but stable condition.

The victims were aged between 10 and 87, police said.

Authorities said they were confident that there were two offenders involved in Sunday’s incident. Police investigations are ongoing and police ⁠numbers have been increased in Jewish communities this morning.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack a "dark moment ​for our nation," and said police and security agencies were thoroughly checking the motive behind the attack.

"What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act ‌of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location," Albanese told reporters.

(Reporting by Lucy CraymerEditing by Peter Graff)