PETALING JAYA: The escalating fight in Syria has taken the life of another Malaysian militant, named Abdul Samad Shukry Mohamad (pic).
The 55-year-old former Jemaah Ismiyah member, also known as Abu Aisyah, was injured in an attack by Syrian forces five months ago but succumbed to his injuries.
“He went to Syria on February 1 last year. Then five months ago, he sustained severe leg injury after being bombed by (Syrian president Bashar) Assad forces.
“It is believed that he was brought for treatment in Turkey but complications suffered during an operation led to his death,” a source said on Thursday.
Abu Aisyah is believed to be the sixth Malaysian killed in the ongoing IS conflict in Syria.
The news of Abu Aisyah’s death has received messages of condolences from friends and acquaintances on social media.
In a Facebook posting, a fellow militant said Abu Aisyah, who was a former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee was a martyr.
“He died after the surgery following a long battle against severe pain in his leg, inflicted during an attack in Arzay about five months ago.
“Abu Aisyah was a good friend of Ustaz Mat (Mohd Lotfi Ariffin) who arrived together with him in Syria,” he said.
In May, Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki became the country’s first suicide bomber when he rammed a vehicle full of explosives into a SWAT headquarters in Iraq, killing 25 police personnel. Ahmad Tarmimi is believed to be fighting under the banner of the Islamic State.
In December, Ahmad Affendi Abdull Manaff, 27, also known as Abu Zakaria was reported to have died after driving an explosive-laden truck into an army camp in Homs, Syria, killing about 50 soldiers from Syrian president 50 Bashar Al-Assad’s army.
Abu Turab, whose real name is Mat Soh, was the first Malaysian militant to be killed in Syria in Aug 19, while defending the town of Arzeh.
On September 9, Mohammad Fadhlan Shahidi Mohammad Khir, 21, from Kedah, was in a truck when he was hit by shrapnel and fell out of the speeding vehicle during an ambush on rebels on 9 Sept 2014 in east Hama.
The attack also took the life of former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee Mohd Lotfi Ariffin, 45, who died after falling into a coma following the assault.
Abu Aisyah, Mohd Lotfi, Fadhlan and Abu Turab are not believed to be working alongside the Islamic State.
