League unaware of jihadist link to Fiji

suva – The Fiji Muslim League says it is unaware of any Fiji links to alleged Fijian teenage terrorist Irfaan Hussein who died recently in the Middle East where he was fighting with Jihadists.

Australian Newspaper, The Herald Sun reported Hussein’s family is from Fiji.

It was reported that he had died, but it was unclear whether he was killed in a bomb blast or beheaded while trying to escape the Middle East to return home to Australia.

The report stated that Hussein’s father was Fijian and Hussein, who was also known as Abu Sufyan Al Australi, reportedly travelled to Turkey in September or October last year before he was smuggled over the border to Syria.

Hussein was close friends with Numan Haider, 18, who was shot dead after stabbing two officers from the Joint Counter Terrorism team outside a Melbourne police station last year.

Police alleged that Hussein assisted Australians who wanted to go to Iraq or Syria to hook up with extremist recruiters.

Hussein was believed to be friends with many young terrorists including a Melbourne teenage terror suspect, Harun Causevic, who had Hussein’s international phone number when he was arrested for allegedly plotting attacks on Anzac Day.

This is another story that has linked Fiji with Australian terrorists.

In April, the Fiji Police Force said they were working closely with Australian authorities in the search for Neil Prakash, a senior member of the Islamic State who is believed to be of Fijian and Cambodian descent.

Fiji Police however have said Neil Prakash, who is Australia’s most wanted man, was not a threat to Fiji.

Police chief of intelligence ACP Henry Brown confirmed Prakash had no direct association with Fijian nationals on the allegations levelled against him being an Islamic extremist.