Australia‘s most well-known Islamic State recruiter, Neil Prakash, has been confirmed dead.
He was killed in a US air strike in Iraq on Friday. His passing has been confirmed by US authorities overnight.
Prakash was known for being a head in web recruitment for Islamic State, instigating terrorism plots in Australia (including both Anzac Day plots in Melbourne last year & Sydney this year) and pushing new recruits to join the group in the Middle East.
Prakash, who was born in Melbourne, has been a major figure in IS recruitment in multiple countries for just over a year, and was commonly regarded as Australia’s most wanted terrorist.
The news of his death is also so important because as it stands, he currently has no successor.
Terrorism expert from Deakin University, Professor Greg Barton said this of Prakash’s passing:
“His death is very welcome in that he’s the last prominent Australian that we’re aware of who served as a key link with friends back in Australia.It doesn’t mean the end of these exchanges, but it certainly marks the closing of the first chapter.”
Notorious Melbourne-born Islamic State recruiter Neil Prakash has been killed during an airstrike in Iraq. #9Today https://t.co/XDcM01CPho
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 4, 2016
We will update this story as more information arises.
Source: SMH.
Photo: Liveleak.
