Police with assault rifles begin Sydney patrols in wake of Bondi attack

SYDNEY: A new police unit armed with military assault rifles has begun patrolling the streets of Sydney, in an Australian-first measure set up in response to the Bondi Beach attack last December.

The Armed Response Command will deploy at major events, crowded public spaces, sporting venues and places of worship to conduct "high visibility" patrols, New South Wales state police said.

The move comes after two men opened fire on a Jewish celebration at the famous beach, killing 15 people in an antisemitic attack motivated by Islamic State ideology.

The A$94 million (US$66.08 million) unit is composed of 250 police officers armed with Australian combat assault rifles.

The measure is the first of its kind in Australia, where the presence of heavily armed police officers is rare.

"The tragic events at Bondi demonstrated the devastating consequences when an alleged armed offender attacks innocent people," the unit's commander, Detective Superintendent Andrew Evans, said.

"ARC ensures we have highly trained officers in the right places, with the right equipment, ready to act when seconds matter."

Amnesty International Australia said the introduction of heavily armed police patrols in Sydney raised "serious questions” about the increasing militarisation of policing and the safeguards in place to protect human rights.