Bondi Beach gunmen's phone pinged near Philippine region known for Islamic extremism: police

Mobile phone data suggests the Bondi Beach gunmen may have travelled near a region in the Philippines where Islamic State-aligned militants are believed to be operating, a police source has told the ABC.

It was believed that Sajid and Naveed Akram spent the majority of November in Davao, a city on the island of Mindanao that encompasses areas that have long been plagued by Islamic extremism.

But a senior Philippines police investigator, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly comment, said the pair may have travelled beyond the city.

"We have also received information they [used a] cell phone in other areas of Mindanao. I think they were twice detected in other areas," they told the ABC.

The police source said the phone was detected in M'lang in North Cotabato, a province that borders areas where Islamic extremists are still believed to be operating.

Shooters visited gun shop and beach resort, police say

While in Davao City, the gunmen visited locations including a gun shop, a beach resort and an ATM, the police source said.

One of the places they are believed to have visited was a local outlet of Shooters Guns & Ammo Corp, the largest gun retail franchise in the Philippines.

"They went to the gun store … the father was just looking around inside the store. They only visited there," they said.

The gunmen also paid a visit to the Seagull White Sand Beach Resort — about 7.5 kilometres away from their hotel — as well as an RCBC bank ATM.

They also visited an Islamic centre called the Mercy Islamic Foundation, located about a 20-minute walk from the hotel they stayed at, the police source said.

"We are still trying to find out their activities … things that they are doing here in Davao City," the source said.

"We're checking the other areas that our sources said they went."

Gunmen may have been 'waiting to meet someone'

Police in the Philippines are continuing to investigate the movements of Sajid and Naveed Akram, who visited the country for 28 days just weeks before the attack at Bondi Beach.

The pair entered the country on November 1 and departed on November 28, spending most of their time in Davao, the largest city on the island of Mindanao.

Staff at a budget hotel in Davao previously told the ABC the two gunmen stayed there for the whole trip and barely left their rooms, extending their stay for one week at a time.

The ABC also last week obtained CCTV vision showing Naveed Akram walking down the street away from the hotel at roughly 5am.

Early in the investigation, an Australian counterterrorism source told the ABC they suspected the pair had received "military-style training" while in the Philippines.

The region of Mindanao, which encompasses Davao, has long struggled with Islamic extremism.

It is believed remnants of some groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group still remain in the regions of Maguindanao del Sur and Lanao del Sur, both several hours' drive from Davao City.

The province of North Cotabato, where police said the gunmen's mobile phone was detected, sits between Davao and these regions.

Philippine authorities have denied that the region is still an "ISIS training ground".

Police were still investigating why the Akrams visited the Philippines and how they spent their time there, the source said.

"Our initial assessment suggests they may have been visiting on holiday or waiting to meet someone," they said.

"At this stage, these remain working theories that we are examining one by one.

"So far, these hypotheses require more information before we can make a sound assessment of their real purpose, including why they repeatedly extended their stay."