india

Updated: Mar 23, 2019 06:55 IST

Shafi Armar, a resident of Bhatkal in Karnataka described by Indian and US officials as the Islamic State’s main recruiter in the country, has been killed in fighting in the terror organisation’s last remaining stronghold in Syria, according to a statement from the group.

The statement described Shafi Armar alias Yusuf al-Hindi as one of the founding members of Ansar-ul-Tawhid and said he had died fighting coalition forces at Baghouz in Syria on March 19.

The statement said Shafi Armar was among the first fighters from India to pledge allegiance to IS. His younger brother, Sultan Armar alias Abdul Rehman al-Hindi, who had founded Ansar-ul-Tawhid and pledged allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had died at Kobani in Syria a few years ago, it added.

The statement said the two brothers had travelled from India to Afghanistan and then Syria to join the IS. Shafi Armar was on the “Most Wanted” list of India’s National Investigation Agency. In June 2017, the US had designated him a global terrorist.