Iraq crisis: Australian Isis fighters Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar 'killed in Mosul'

The men are thought to have recruited young fighters for Isis

Kashmira Gander
Monday 22 June 2015 18:34
Comments
Khaled Sharrouf is believed to have died in Iraq
Khaled Sharrouf is believed to have died in Iraq

Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar, two of Australia’s most notorious terrorists, have reportedly been killed while fighting with Isis in Iraq.

The pair are believed to have been killed by a drone strike while fighting in the country’s second city of Mosul, a source close to one of the men’s families told Australian broadcaster ABC's 7:30 programme.

Last year, Australian police issued arrest warrants for the men. Cogs in the extremist group’s propaganda machine, it is believed they were in contact with impressionable young Muslims who they convinced to fight for the group.

The Australian government is now attempting to verify the reports that the men have died. However, foreign minister Julie Bishop said that it is “very difficult to gain the information necessary given that it is a war zone.”

She went on to stress that Australians should not travel to “Syria or Iraq or to the Middle East” to “support this brutal terrorist organisation”, adding that it is against the country’s law to do so.

Khaled Sharrouf, a convicted terrorist, left Australia in 2013 with his wife and their five children and travelled to Isis’ nominal capital, Raqqa.

Last August, he made headlines after he shared a photo of his seven-year-old grasping the severed head of a Syria solider by his hair.

The Australian reported that this image was posted to the terrorist Khaled Sharrouf’s Twitter profile with the caption: 'That's my boy'
Sharrouf with three of his children

Other photos of Sharrouf with his children show the youngsters clutching guns.

Elomar, also known as Abu Hafs al Australi, left his wife and three children in Sydney when he travelled to Syria, MailOnline reported.

Close friends, Sharrouf reportedly allowed Elomar to marry his 14-year-old daughter in early 2015.

Earlier this year it was reported that Sharrouf's wife Tara Nettleton wanted to return to Australia with her children, but Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at the time that the family would “face the full severity of Australian law.”

Around 100 Australian are believed to be fighting for Isis in the Middle East and at least 30 of those have died, Attorney-General George Brandis told News Corp Australia.

Register for free to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

Please enter a valid email
Please enter a valid email
Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number
Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number
Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number
Please enter your first name
Special characters aren’t allowed
Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters
Please enter your last name
Special characters aren’t allowed
Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters
You must be over 18 years old to register
You must be over 18 years old to register
Opt-out-policy
You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe.

By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Register for free to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Join our new commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in