Moss Side man ‘listed as IS sniper’

A MOSS Side man was listed as a sniper in official Islamic State records leaked by a defector, a court heard.

Mohammed Abdallah, 26, allegedly travelled to Syria with help from his wheelchair-bound brother who turned his Manchester home into an Isis ‘switchboard,’ the Old Bailey was told.

Abdallah allegedly went to the wartorn state to meet up with three fellow jihadis, including a former RAF serviceman and Muslim convert Stephen Gray.

The accused, who has dual Libyan nationality, allegedly went on to receive £2,000 in cash, source an AK47 assault rifle, and sign up with Islamic State (IS), with the assistance of his 24-year-old brother Abdalraouf.

The younger sibling had been paralysed from the waist down when the brothers fought the Gadaffi regime in 2011, jurors have been told.

While there, the defendant allegedly got experience as a sniper and of handling heavy Russian-made machine guns, according to IS documents leaked in 2016.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC told jurors how the IS file detailing his previous fighting knowledge fell into the hands of a Sky News journalist, who in turn passed the details to Scotland Yard’s counter terrorism officers.

One of the formal records was allegedly a file on the defendant and under an entry entitled ‘any previous Jihadi experience,’ stated that Abdallah previously fought in Libya against Gadaffi.

He was listed as a ‘fighter’ specialising in use of ‘Dushka’ - a Russian heavy machine gun - and as a ‘sniper,’ the court was told.

Mr Heywood told jurors that Abdallah’s nickname, date of birth, nationality and previous experience all matched.

The document was ‘very important,’ given the specific biographical detail it contained, he said.

“His specialisation, in other words how he might sell himself as useful to Islamic State, includes that he has experience of using a ‘Dushka.’

“This is a Russian-made heavy machine gun.

“You will see that not only is it true that the defendant had then got that previous experience but that recorded images exist of his doing so together with his brother previously.”

Abdalraouf Abdallah’s phone number was also listed as his next of kin contact, jurors heard.

Mohammed Abdallah, of Westerling Way, Moss Side, Manchester, denies possessing a gun and receiving £2,000 for terrorism purposes as well as membership of IS.

Proceeding