Indian-origin IS recruiter from Oz killed in Iraq

Melbourne, May 5 

Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in war-torn Iraq, that authorities today said could disrupt the group's ability to attract vulnerable people.

Melbourne-born Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

"Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," the Senator said.

Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakash's death as a "very, very positive development". —PTI