Sydney: At least 11 people were shot dead on Sunday after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event being held at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian authorities said, declaring the incident a terrorist attack.

The shooting took place during an event called Chanukah by the Sea, which was organised to mark the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Hundreds of people had gathered at the popular beachfront venue when the attack occurred.

Australian authorities said one of the gunmen was fatally shot by police, while the second was arrested and remains in critical condition. A large-scale emergency response was launched, with injured people rushed to hospitals in ambulances.

How many people were killed and injured?

At least 11 people were confirmed dead in the attack. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at least 29 people were wounded, including two police officers.

Lanyon said the death toll was “fluid” as injured people continued to arrive at hospitals.

Why was the attack declared terrorism?

“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.

Authorities confirmed the massacre was declared a terrorist attack based on the nature of the event targeted and the weapons used, Lanyon said.

What did witnesses describe?

Dramatic footage broadcast on Australian television channels, apparently filmed by a member of the public, showed a person tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before pointing the weapon at him.

Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told that he was waiting nearby for his family when he heard gunshots. He said he dropped the beer he was carrying for his brother and ran.

“You heard a few pops, and I freaked out and ran away. ... I started sprinting. I just had that intuition. I sprinted as quickly as I could,” Moran said. He added that he heard shooting intermittently for about five minutes.

“Everyone just dropped all their possessions and everything and were running and people were crying and it was just horrible,” Moran said.

What is the latest on the police operation?

Police said their operation was “ongoing” and confirmed that a “number of suspicious items located in the vicinity” were being examined by specialist officers. An improvised explosive device was found in one of the suspect’s cars.

Emergency services were called to Campbell Parade at about 6.45 pm following reports of shots being fired. Local media spoke to distressed and injured bystanders at the scene.

How have leaders responded?

“Our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community tonight,” Premier Minns told reporters in Sydney.

“I can only imagine the pain that they’re feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement that his thoughts were with all those affected.

“The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing,” he said. “Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives.”

How rare are mass shootings in Australia?

Mass shooting deaths are extremely rare in Australia. A 1996 massacre in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in which a lone gunman killed 35 people, led to sweeping gun law reforms that made it far more difficult to acquire firearms.

Other significant incidents this century include two murder-suicides in 2014 that killed five people, and another in 2018 in which seven people died.

In 2022, two police officers were shot dead by Christian extremists at a rural property in Queensland. The three shooters, described as conspiracy theorists who hated police, were later shot and killed by officers after a six-hour siege in Wieambilla, along with one of their neighbours.

(With agency inputs)