Australian, US officials hail Syrian Bondi rescuer as hero

• Ahmed al-Ahmad disarmed a shooter during the Bondi attack, saving lives.
• He was shot multiple times and is recovering in hospital.
• Family says his actions were driven purely by saving civilians.
• Officials in Australia and the US praised his bravery.

Ahmed al-Ahmad, a Syrian-Australian father of two, is being widely praised after risking his life to stop a gunman during Sunday’s deadly attack at Bondi beach in Sydney.

According to his family, Ahmed ran toward the shooter and wrestled the weapon from him in an effort to protect civilians attending a Hanukkah celebration. At least 16 people, including one of the attackers, were killed and 40 others wounded in the assault.

“When Ahmed al-Ahmad ran and wrestled a gun from a shooter, he was simply thinking of saving the victims, whether they are Jews, Israelis, or anyone else,” his uncle Mohammad Ahmad al-Ahmad said in an interview with Anadolu.

“It was a courageous act by my nephew,” he added. “He ran to disarm the attacker and prevent a loss of lives. It is a feeling beyond description.”

Ahmed, 43, was shot multiple times during the confrontation, sustaining injuries to his arm and shoulder. Despite his wounds, his family says the toll could have been far higher had he not intervened.

“Ahmed was brave, a man in every sense of the word,” his uncle said. “Ahmed is a source of pride for us. He made all Syrians and Muslims proud.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the act, saying, “We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others. These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives.”

US President Donald Trump also commended Ahmed, saying he had “great respect” for him. “It's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives,” Trump said.

- From Idlib to Sydney -

Ahmed’s family originates from Al-Nayrab village in Syria’s Idlib province. Born in 1981, he studied at the University of Aleppo before moving to Australia in 2007, where he settled in Sydney. He initially worked in construction before opening a vegetable supermarket.

An Anadolu correspondent who visited the family’s former home in Idlib described widespread destruction caused by the war, with many residents displaced.

In a video shared with relatives, Ahmed was seen lying in his hospital bed, visibly exhausted from his injuries. In a separate interview from Sydney, he thanked supporters and asked for prayers.

“By Allah, I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it,” he said, adding, “You are in my heart.”