Unmasked: Aussie jihadists heading into Islamic State terror zones
- Herald Sun
- September 18, 2014
THE identities of scores of Australian jihadists in Syria and Iraq remains unknown.
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Alarmingly many fighters have returned and are anonymously walking the streets.
In other cases fighters have been unmasked after appearing in suicide and propaganda videos.
The media have successfully identified more than 15 Australians who have travelled to the area and no doubt there will be more.
Many are related through intricate recruiting networks, which show the dangerous underground networks of religious extremism growing in Australia.
ASIO continues to strive to uncover the identities of foreign fighters and Australians wanting to travel overseas.
In many cases worried family and community members have ben the vital key.
Below is a list of Australians we know have visited the war-torn region.
If you know someone who is not on our list call the National Security Hotline on 1800 1234 00.
VICTORIA
Adam Dahman, 18 — Suicide bomber who killed five in Iraq
Northcote teenager who travelled to Iraq in November 2010 after being recruited by a known extremist family operating in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.Close links to Ezzit and Ahmed Raad who were convicted on terrorism charges in Victoria.
Dahman detonated a vest bomb outside a mosque in July and was hailed a as a ‘knight’ by the Islamic State.
Mounir Raad, 19 — Fighting with Islamic State in Syria
Younger brother in the notorious Raad family Mounir Raad was believed to have travelled to the war zone with teenager Adam Dahman.In November pictures were posted with the boys together overseas. He recently popped up on social media claiming he was in Aleppo.
Roger Abbas, 23 — killed in crossfire in Syria, October 2012
Melbourne kickboxing champion was killed in Syria near the Turkish border during a skirmish. Mr Abbas regularly prayed at Preston Mosque and family maintain he was providing aid in war-torn Syria.Yusuf Toprakkaya, 30 — killed in sniper attack in Syria, December 2012
Toprakkaya was on the US watch list when he travelled to Syria to fight with killed rebel forces.He had left behind his wife and son in Broadmeadows and was in Syria for at least six months before he was killed.
Sammy Salma, 22 — killed in explosion in Aleppo, April 2013
Roxburgh Park man killed fighting Assad forces and had links to al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.NEW SOUTH WALES
Khaleed Sharrouf — Fighting with IS in Iraq
Former Sydney convicted terrorist travelled to Syria on his brother’s passport through Malaysia and is believed to be fighting with the Islamic State.Shocked the world when he posted photos of his seven-year-old son holding a severed head earlier this year.
Believed to be schizophrenic and prolifically posts gory images on Facebook.
AFP have issued warrant for his arrest.
Mostafa Mahamed — Believed to be in Syria
Former Sydney preacher known as Sheikh Abu Sulayman al-Muhajir fighting with of Aleppo on behalf of terror group Jabhat al-Nusra who are battling against the rival Islamic State in Syria. Flew to Syria in 2013. Islamic State fighter Khaleed Sharrouf has threatened to kill Mahamed on Social media.Mohamed “Moey” Elomar, 29 — Fighting with IS in Iraq
Former Australian boxer fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq, and travelling in a BMW.He travelled to Iraq with Sharrouff and has also posted multiple gory photos on social media.
Elomar has several family members who are deeply radicalised and it is believed he was inducted to the extremist view more than a decade ago.
AFP have issued a warrant for his arrest
Mustapha al-Majzoub, 30 — killed in rocket attack in Syria, 2012
Family says he was in Syria on a humanitarian mission but was known to security agencies as an extremist. Sources say he was fighting with a platoon outside of Aleppo when he died but Islamic elders have rejected the claim.Mohammad Ali Baryalei, 33, — believed to be living in Turkey
Former Kings Cross bouncer and Underbelly star who has become a senior member of the Islamic State.Baryalei allegedly has helped recruit up to 60 Australian jihadists and has helped link recruits from Turkey to Syria. Baryalei was believed to have recruited Khaleed Sharrouf and a Gold Coast couple who were killed in Syria.
The AFP have issued a warrant for his arrest for terrorist related activities.
Zakarayah Raad, 22 — killed before June 2014
Sydney born, he was radicalised by Melbourne family members Ahmed and Ezzit Raad who were part of a convicted terrorist group in Melbourne. Zakarayah latched on to extreme interpretations of Islam form a young age and turned up in Syria in 2014. He appeared in an Islamic State recruitment video calling Australians to Jihad. The video said Zakarayah had died a martyr following filming.Ahmad Moussalli — death in 2014 in Syria remains unconfirmed
The roadside Parramatta preacher boasted he was travelling to Egypt to study Arabic after recruiting 30 people to Islam.Reports surfaced he was killed in Syria and had links to Baryalei but his death remains a mystery.
Caner Temel, 22 — killed in Syria, January 2014
Former Australian soldier went AWOL in 2010 and later turned up dead in Syria while fighting with the Islamic State.Had been based at Enoggera when he went missing.
Abu Nour al-Iraqi — Fighting for Islamic State
He is an Australian insurgent but his true identity remains unknown. He appeared in an Islamic State recruitment video in June along with two other Australians. He appears to have a lazy left eye.
QUEENSLAND
Abu Asma al Australi, 27 — suicide bomber in Iraq
Believed to be a family man from Brisbane named Ahmed h is the first suspected suicide bomber from Australia.He detonated a truck loaded with 12 tonnes of explosives killing 35 Syrian soldiers.
Video was later released of his final speech standing on the truck draped in Islamic State flags.
His surname has not been published for legal reasons.
Yusuf Ali, 22 — Shot next to his wife in a house in Syria, January 2014
Born in the US but raised in Redcliffe Ali died fighting for Jabhat al Nusra an off shoot of al-Qaeda. His real name is Tyler Casey, but changed his name after converting to Islam at 17.Believed to be recruited by a former bouncer who joined the Islamic State Ali and his wife told people they were travelling to Syria for humanitarian reason but were believed to be fighting against Assad forces.
They were found dead in a bullet ridden house in Syria in January 2014.
Amira Ali 22 — killed by IS
Former suburban Gold Coast girl and Sea World staffer left her home in Sydney’s western suburbs before Christmas saying she was going to Denmark to do some humanitarian work.She and her husband, Yusuf Ali, who met in Queensland were found dead in a bullet ridden house in Syria.
She grew up on Broadwater and attended an Anglican School but became deeply radicalised after moving to Sydney in 2012.
Zia Abdul Haq, 33 — Islamic State fighter in Syria
The Logan father allegedly became radicalised after he heard radical Australian Sheik Musa Cerantonio speak in 2012.Using the alias Abu Yusseph to post Islamic State propaganda.
The Afghan-born Haq left for Syria after a bitter split from his wife.
alex.white@news.com.au
Originally published as Terror threat: Aussie jihadis unmasked http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/unmasked-aussie-jihadists-heading-into-islamic-state-terror-zones/story-fnihsrk2-1227062828151?nk=637d9776ef3b8127ed11e444ae4a1f38
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