New video has emerged of the man said to be Australia's first suicide bomber. The video appears to be published by the Al Qaeda-related group, Jabhat al Nusrah, which has previously said the Australian blew himself up in an attack on an army checkpoint in north-eastern Syria in September. It is a revealing insight into the man's last hours and shows the group preparing the massive truck bomb used in the attack.
The video shows the jihadi, identified in a previous internet posting as Abu Asma al Australi, standing on the truck used in the suicide bombing. But, because the face in the video is obscured it is not possible to be sure who it shows, but the bomber is suspected of being a man from Brisbane named Ahmed.
In the video, Abu Asma stands in front of the truck. Large panels have been fitted to its front in an effort to protect the driver from gunfire. He bids farewell to fellow jihadis then urges more foreigners to come and join the fight.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) says over the past 12 months there has been a significant increase in the number of Australians going to join hardline groups, including Jabhat al Nusra. In just a year the number has risen from a few to 20 or 30, maybe more. |