Australia's 'most dangerous' terrorist killed in Iraq

Australia's "most dangerous" terrorist Neil Prakash has been confirmed dead on Thursday, after a coalition-led airstrike struck the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Mosul, Iraq last week.

Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis confirmed Prakash's death to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and said it was a "significant" step in curbing the spread of IS to western nations such as Australia.

"We were advised by the American government that they have confirmation of the death of Neil Prakash last Friday night in Mosul," Brandis told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday.

"Prakash was a very important, high-valued target. He was the most dangerous Australian involved with IS in the Middle East."

Since leaving Australia in 2013, Prakash has been one of the terrorist group's most active recruiters, and was considered by many, including Brandis, to be one of the greatest threats to the Australian public.

"Prakash was actively involved in both recruitment and in encouraging domestic terror attacks in Australia," Brandis said.

"He was the principal Australian reaching back from the Middle East into Australia and, in particular, to terrorist networks in both Melbourne and Sydney, encouraging lone wolf attacks and more sophisticated attacks."

Despite the news of Prakash's death, the government has stressed that he was not the only person - and not the only Australian - that has attempted to recruit vulnerable young Australians to join the IS cause. Brandis said it was not a time to be "complacent".

"When you take out the principal inspirer of domestic terrorism, that is a good thing, but he isn't the only one," Brandis said.

"Although we should be gladdened by this news as he was the most dangerous Australian in the (terror organization), we shouldn't be complacent either, as this is by no means the end of the struggle against ISIL and he was by no means the only dangerous Australian in the Middle East trying to reach back to Australia.

"The latest advice I have from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) this morning is that there are still about 110 Australians engaged with ISIL in the Middle East."

American authorities have also advised the federal government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was also killed in a similar, U.S-led air strike near the Syrian city of Al Bab last month.

Mohammad was the sister of teenager Farhad Mohammad, who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in Sydney last year.

Source: XINHUA