Two men who were shot with a nailgun at a Buddhist temple in Sydney’s southwest remain in critical conditions.

The men, aged 29 and 59, were each shot once in the head in the attack at the Vat Ketanak Khmer Kampuchea Krom temple in Rossmore on Wednesday afternoon.

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Both have undergone surgery and remain in critical conditions, police said early on Thursday.

A police search at the temple’s grounds uncovered a nailgun, which is to be forensically examined.