M’sian IS militant seen inciting terror
He and two other extremists go on to execute their captives in new video
KUALA LUMPUR: A new video has emerged showing a Malaysian Islamic State (IS) militant inciting extremist action along with two other militants, before executing three captives.
The eight-minute, 12-second clip, which starts with footage of atrocities committed by IS in various countries including France, shows the militants calling on Muslims to launch attacks in their own countries if they are unable to join the terror group in Syria and Iraq.
The Malaysian, identified as 25- year- old Muhammad Aqif Heusen Rahizat, can be seen urging Muslims to rise up.
He is accompanied by Singaporean Abu Akil Al-Singapuri@Kamal and a third, unidentified militant.
“Come join us (IS) in Syria and Iraq but if you cannot, I urge you to launch attacks on the enemies of Islam in your own countries.
“Do you still have any reason for being left behind from rising up?” Muhammad Aqif said in the video at the 2:32 mark.
Abu Akil is also heard urging militants to stay firm as the fighting has just begun.
“We will never stop until we cleanse the land from east Asia to west of Africa,” he said.
At the end of the video, the three militants are shown fatally shooting three individuals, believed to be their prisoners.
Intelligence sources said the video was first aired on Khayr Wilayah – one of the official media for IS – on Dec 29 in Arabic and English.
Other sources said Muhammad Aqif, who is also known as Abu Sufyan Malayzi, left for Syria on Dec 28, 2013.
“The suspect, who is from Kluang, Johor, went to Syria and joined the Ajnad Al-Syam militant group, which also has former PAS leader and ISA detainee Mohd Lotfi Ariffin as a member.
“After Mohd Lotfi’s death on Sept 14, 2014, Muhammad Aqif joined IS,” a source told The Star.
It is learnt that Muhammad Aqif managed to convince his older brother Muhammad Afiq Heusen to join him in Syria along with Ummi Kalsom Bahak, who was detained at the KLIA 2 on Oct 5, 2014.
It is believed that Ummi Kalsom was planning to marry Muhammad Aqif once she got to Syria.
Sources said Muhammad Aqif was not active on social media and preferred to lie low compared to other high-profile Malaysian mili- tants – until the emergence of this video.
“Authorities believe the suspect is still in Abu Kamal, which is at the border between Syria and Iraq,” a source said.
The video, intelligence sources said, showed that Muhammad Aqif is still active with IS despite the devastating losses suffered by the terror group as a result of assaults by the Syrian and Iraqi armies, aided by Russia and the United States.
“The call of false jihad in the video is a big threat to Malaysia’s security as it might influence IS supporters in Malaysia to launch attacks,” another source said.
It is learnt that the authorities have stepped up intelligence gathering and are on high alert to deal with any threat to the nation’s security.
A total of 53 Malaysians are still in Syria, including 12 women.