Wanted Australian ISIS recruiter killed in US airstrike in Iraq

Australian ISIS recruiter Neil Prakash, who called on his countrymen to start attacking before being attacked, has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in northern Iraq's Mosul city.

Wanted Australian ISIS recruiter killed in US airstrike in Iraq
Representational picture

New York: Australian ISIS recruiter Neil Prakash, who called on his countrymen to start attacking before being attacked, has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in northern Iraq's Mosul city.

Australian Attorney General George Brandis said that Prakash was the country's most prominent ISIS recruiter and its highest value target.

"He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," CNN quoted Brandis as saying.

Brandis confirmed that Prakash was killed on April 29 in Mosul by a U.S. airstrike.

Prakash was linked to several plans in attacking his homeland and calling for lone-wolf strikes against Washington.

He also appeared in ISIS propaganda videos in English, where he narrated his personal story, exhorted his countryman to "rise up" and invited them to join the self-proclaimed Islamic State's caliphate in Iraq and Syria, reports say.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull said that Prakash had been a target for some time and warned others that if they go and choose to fight with ISIS they could meet the same fate.

"They will be targeted. They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theaters," Turnbull said.

The Attorney General also announced that another Australian citizen Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was also killed in an air strike in Syria on April 22.

Mohammad was an active recruiter of foreign fighters for ISIS, Brandis added.

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.