A father and son accused of a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach "acted alone" and were not part of a wider terrorist cell, police said on Dec. 30.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed killed 15 people in an ISIL-inspired attack targeting a Jewish festival on Dec. 14.
The pair traveled to the southern Philippines in the weeks before shooting, fueling suspicions they may be linked to extremists in a region with a history of Islamist insurgencies.
Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett said so far this did not appear to be the case.
"These individuals are alleged to have acted alone," she told reporters.
"There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out the attack."
Barrett said police would continue to probe why the pair traveled to the city of Davao, where CCTV showed they barely left their budget hotel.
"I want to be clear. I am not suggesting they were there for tourism," she said.
Police believe the duo "meticulously planned" the attack for months and have released pictures showing them training with shotguns in the Australian countryside.
They also recorded a video in October railing against "Zionists" while sitting in front of a flag of the Islamic State jihadist group, police have said.
Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack.
An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody charged with 15 murders and a litany of other serious offences.
New Year's Eve parties across Sydney will pause at 11 p.m. today for a minute of silence in memory of the victims.
