Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, has urged Australians not to join theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) “death cult” after a 25-year-old male model from Melbourne became the latest foreign recruit to die while fighting with militants in Syria.
Sharky Jama, a former model and keen football player from Melbourne’s Somali community, had been based in Iraq but was shot dead in Syria.
His family said they received a text message and phone call from someone on Monday informing them that he had been killed.
Sharky Jama is believed to be the 20th Australian to die fighting for Isil
Hussein Haraco, a Melbourne Somali community leader, said he had known Jama’s family for ten years and he was known as a good person who assisted other community members.
“They haven’t got any idea what is the reason,” Mr Haraco told ABC News.
“He was just a young man playing soccer and being at other activities and suddenly something happened and he went to Syria. [It’s] really shocking for the whole community and we are really confused.”
About 90 Australians have gone to the Middle East to fight for Isil, including about 20 who have been killed.
The nation was shocked by the apparent death last month of Jake Bilardi, a Melbourne teenager who is believed to have died in a suicide bombing.
The death of Jama prompted Mr Abbott to issue a plea to Australians to stop “going overseas to join these terrorist groups”.
“Don’t. They are death cults. That’s what they are,” Mr Abbott said.
“They’re not about religion. They’re just about death. And it’s just as likely to be your death as anyone else’s death. If you go overseas for this kind of purpose, you are a danger to others, you are a danger to yourself. Don’t do it.”
Australian officials said they were unable to confirm the latest death.
Mr Abbott this week said he would deploy a further 330 Australian troops to train the Iraqi army to hold and seize ground from Isil.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
