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Australian IS fighter killed in Iraq

Xinhua, June 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Authorities are "imminently" close to confirming the death of one of Australia's most-wanted men, Islamic State terrorist Mohamed Elomar, according to Australia's foreign minister.

But Julie Bishop said on Tuesday that Australia was still seeking verification regarding the reported death of Sydney man Khaled Sharrouf, who gained worldwide attention when he and his son posed for photos with the severed head of a Syrian fighter.

Sources close to the families say the men were in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which fell to IS a year ago, but are unsure whether the pair died in fighting or a U.S.-led drone strike.

Elomar's body is believed to have been recovered but the remains of Sharrouf are missing.

"The likelihood of verification in relation to Mr Elomar is probably imminent, however in relation to Mr Sharrouf, we're still seeking to verify the reports," Bishop told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"Given the security situation in Iraq, it's difficult for our authorities to gain the kind of information that would be required to verify these reports.

"Mr Elomar was said to be in Mosul. There have been a number of air strikes in Mosul in recent days.

"We are aware that Mr Elomar has been in Mosul for some time."

If confirmed, their deaths will likely be greeted with relief by security agencies, who believed both men continued to recruit young, impressionable Australian Muslims.

Counter-terrorism expert Dr Greg Barton said IS may even be relieved as he believes the pair's propaganda value had been exhausted.

"They were stupid, juvenile, not disciplined, not skilled, they had very little to offer," he said on Tuesday.

Both men's Australian passports had been cancelled and Australian police wanted Sharrouf for his alleged role in the shooting execution of an Iraqi official outside Mosul.

The men travelled to Syria in 2013 and have been accused of enslaving Yazidi women. Their Australian families joined them in Syria and Iraq, leading to the infamous picture of Sharrouf's seven-year-old holding aloft the severed head of a Syrian fighter. Endi