One of Australia’s most senior Islamic State operatives may have survived a US airstrike this year, contrary to official reports that he was dead. On Friday the New York Times reported that Neil Prakash had been arrested in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Prakash has been a prominent member of Islamic State in Iraq, and has sought to recruit Australians to carry out attacks. “As a matter of longstanding practice, the Australian government does not comment on matters of intelligence or law enforcement operations,” Keenan said. In August 2015 the Australian federal police issued a first instance warrant for Prakash’s arrest, which is still valid.

Source: The Guardian November 25, 2016 05:12 UTC