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Report: Former rock band drummer among Malaysian IS fighters killed in Syria early this year

SHAH ALAM, Nov 13 — Two Malaysians to have been part of the Islamic State (IS) world terror network were confirmed to have been killed in a Russian air strike in Syria earlier this year, The Star Online reported today.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (E8) head Deputy Comm Datuk Ayob Khan told the English daily that one of those who were killed was the former drummer of rock bank Ukays, Akel Zainal, along with his wife and children.

The report stated that Akel, whose real name is Wan Mohd Aquil Wan Zainal Abidin, and his family were killed in March by an air strike on his home in Baghouz, Syria.

“We obtained information from our foreign counterparts about Akel along with his wife, his three-year-old son and two-year-old daughter being killed in the air strikes.

“One of the air strikes hit his home, killing them along with a Belgium militant,” he was quoted by The Star Online.

Akel was reported to have been an IS fighter in Syria since January 3, 2014, and was said to have assumed the mantle of Malaysian militant leader there following the death of Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi in April 2017.

Ayob added that the intelligence obtained revealed that another senior Malaysian militant, Mohd Rafi Udin, also known as Abu Awn Al-Malizi, was also killed during a Russian air strike in January.

“He was featured in an IS video in 2016, calling for attacks against secular governments and its leaders.

“In the video, he was seen beheading a Middle Eastern-looking prisoner.

“He has been a militant since his Kumpulan Mujahideen Malaysia (KMM) days in 2001, and even joined Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) before heading to Syria to join IS,” Ayob was quoted.

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