Australian jihadi network grows in Syria as local men fight with Islamic State
MELBOURNE men are creating a network of extremists overseas while fighting with the Islamic State death cult.
New pictures have emerged of reportedly dead playboy jihadi Mahmoud Abdullatif and Brunswick man Mounir Raad together in Syria brandishing weapons.
Raad, holding a pistol, has clutched Abdullatif with both pointing their finger to the sky.
The picture was posted as a tribute to Abdullatif — who fighters and family have widely reported was killed a week ago.
Both men went to Brunswick High School but it was not clear until now that they had linked up overseas.
It is further evidence of an Australian clique developing among fighters in Syria.
This month the Herald Sun revealed Abdullatif and fellow Melbourne terrorist Suhan Rahman had met Sydney extremist Mohamed Elomar.
A woman purporting to be Abdullatif’s wife — believed to be Zehra Duman from Melbourne — has claimed her husband was a martyr.The woman has issued taunts from Syria posting a picture of an automatic weapon with the caption “catch me if you can”.
She also put out a final picture of her ‘husband’ in the snow writing:
“A few days before he attained shahadah (martyrdom). Was so excited to see the snow! Lol. Oh how I miss you, may Allah reunite us.”
Raad has been in Syria for almost a year and left Australia around the same time as 18-year-old suicide bomber from Northcote, Adam Dahman.
For a short while he was active on social media, posting sick pictures of Syrian children brandishing weapons.
Portly Raad’s big bugbear was the food in Syria.
Raad told his followers food was so scarce in Islamic State controlled areas some extremists were forced to eat dogs and cats, and he also once bragged about cooking pot noodles.
“In some other parts of shaam (Syria) they’re eating cats n dogs (sic),” he tweeted.
“Mmmmmmm noodles! I feel like a chef.”
Raad is the brother of Ezzit and Ahmed Raad, who were jailed plotting to blow up Melbourne landmarks.
The Herald Sun exclusively revealed Ezzit left for Syria almost two years ago — fleeing the country for the Middle East despite his terrorism conviction.
HERALD SUN