Australian man who fled to fight alongside Islamic State before he was reportedly killed, praised as 'martyr' and 'hero' online
- Sydney man, Ahmad Mohamad Al-Ghazzawi, has reportedly been killed by the Syrian army as a member of ISIS
- The Syria 24 News Network announced his death on December 27
- Dozens of people took to social media following the news to write: 'God have mercy on him' and asking for 'God to make him a martyr'
- Australian officials have not confirmed Al-Ghazzawi's death nor whether he fled Australia to join ISIS fighters in Syria
- It comes after Melbourne man Sharky Jama, left behind his 'budding male model' career to join the Islamic State in Fallujah, Iraq
- Photographs show him sauntering down laneways in a fedora and posing in high-top sneakers on a beach
An
Australian man, who is believed to have been fighting alongside
terrorist organisation the Islamic State in Syria, has been reportedly
killed in the war-torn country.
The
Syria 24 News Network reported that Lebanese born Ahmad Mohamad
al-Ghaz'zaoui (also spelt Al-Ghazzawi) who is believed to have formerly
lived in Bankstown in Sydney's west, was killed by the Syrian army as a
member of ISIS on December 27,News Corp reports.
Following news of his death, dozens of people took to social media to show support and praise the alleged terrorist.
Ahmad Mohamad al-Ghaz'zaoui (also
spelt Al-Ghazzawi) (pictured) who previously lived in Bankstown in
Sydney's west, is believed to have been killed by the Syrian army as a
member of ISIS on December 27
In a series of posts to his Facebook page, Sydney business manager Abo Elmineh, dubbed Al-Ghazzawi a 'martyr' and a hero'.
Written
in Arabic, his messages asked for God to 'rest his soul in peace' and
stated that Ghazzawi had 'died in the land of the pure'.
Dozens of people followed suit, writing comments such as: 'God have mercy on him' and asking for 'God to make him a martyr'.
Others, such as Hassan Ghazzawi, went as far as to call him their 'hero'.
However
many others responded to Syria 24's announcement with disgust towards
the Australia, writing: 'One way ticket to hell this pig' and 'Good
riddance'.
Following news of his death, dozens of people took to social media to show support and praise the alleged terrorist
In a series of posts to his Facebook page, Sydney business manager Abo Elmineh, dubbed Al-Ghazzawi a 'martyr' and a hero'
Australian
officials have so far been unable to confirm news of Al-Ghazzawi's
death nor whether he had fled Australia to join ISIS fighters in Syria,
News Corp reports.
Earlier
this month, Attorney-General George Brandis revealed that approximately
20 Australians were known by the government to have died in conflict in
Syria and Iraq so far, the ABC reported.
Amongst
them: Mohammad Ali Baryalei, who was believed to have recruited dozens
to fight overseas and was part of a plot to kill citizens in Sydney and
Brisbane, 33-year-old former Brisbane City Council worker Zia Abdul Haq
who died in October, Australian soldier Caner Temel who died in Syria in
January and Sydney couple Yusuf Ali and who were killed in the Syrian
city of Aleppo.
News
of Al-Ghazzawi's comes after revelations that Melbourne model Sharky
Jama, traded in his 'budding' career for a life devoted to the Islamic
State in the Middle East.
The Australian reported
that Jama and friend, former La Trobe University student Yusuf Yusuf,
claim to have fled Australian for the key IS outposts of Fallujah, Iraq,
and Raqqa, Syria, respectively.
In
various pictures published by his modelling agency, Jama, of Somalian
descent, is seen posing for photographs in smart casual clothing.
Al-Ghazzawi's
death was reported by the Syria 24 News Network on December 27 (left).
many readers responded to the announcement with disgust towards the
Australia (right), writing: 'Good riddance'
Jama's
role in Fallujah - the first major city to fall to the Islamic State in
2014 - is not known, but is no doubt very different to his Australian
occupation.
The
Federal government believes more than 70 Australians have fled to join
the fighting in Iraq and Syria and the passports of more than 100 others
have been cancelled.
Counter-terrorism
researcher Dr Anne Aly, from Curtin University, told Daily Mail
Australia the young men matched the 'typical' profile of Australians
joining the Islamic State.
'That
is pretty much a very typical profile, young men who for all intents
and purposes seem to be quite well integrated... but then there's
something that turns them'.
'It
might take a year, it might take six months and if they continue down
that path and become more and more radicalised they get to the point
where they're ready to take action'.
It comes after revelations that
Melbourne model Sharky Jama, traded in his 'budding' career for a life
devoted to the Islamic State in the Middle East
Some
pictures of Jama, above, feature him sauntering down laneways wearing a
fedora, while others show him posing in high-top sneakers and colourful
scarfs
While
many Australians have taken up arms on behalf of the Islamic State, and
several have died, others have joined the terrorist group's propaganda
arm.
Last
week, it was reported that a western Sydney man has joined the
organisation's media arm, which produces its slick, high-definition
propaganda packages for broadcast and upload.
The man is understood to be working as a video editor. He described his life as 'pretty typical' in an interview with The Australian newspaper.
'I
have a job, I live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me
so I can be Shaheed (martyred),' he was quoted saying.
Two
Australian nationals have featured in Islamic State videos - the
so-called 'Ginger Jihadi', Abdullah Elmir, 17 and Zakaria Raad, 22.
Elmir
has not appeared in a video since October, when he was broadcast
wearing military fatigues and surrounded by chanting Islamic State
militants.
Raad was reported killed shortly after his appearance in a July recruitment video with other militants.
Propaganda prop: Abdullah Elmir, 17,
from western Sydney, featured in a high-definition Islamic State
broadcast earlier this year
Elmir, pictured, has not been heard from in IS propaganda since the video's syndication
Read more:
- Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
- Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
- No Cookies | dailytelegraph.com.au
- Mohammad Ali Baryalei: Government trying to confirm reports Australia's most senior Islamic State terrorist killed in fighting in Middle East - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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