PETALING JAYA: The deaths of Malaysian militant leaders Akel Zainal and Mohd Rafi Udin will reduce the intensity of recruitment for the Islamic State (IS) but not completely kill it, says a terrorism expert. Dr Ahmad El-Muhammady, a political science lecturer at the International Islamic University of Malaysia, said the recruitment of Malaysians into the terror group might continue undetected in some cases. While their deaths may reduce the intensity of recruitment, it will not completely kill it, ” he said. Commenting on the power vacuum among Malaysian IS fighters in Syria following the deaths of Akel and Mohd Rafi, Dr Ahmad said there was no longer a central Malaysian figure in Syria. Mohd Rafi Udin, who was also known as Abu Awn Al-Malizi, was killed during an airstrike in January.

Source: The Star November 14, 2019 21:45 UTC