Gazan who killed Italian died fighting with IS in Iraq
Gaza media says Mahmud al-Salfiti had escaped prison and fled Gaza Strip in June to join the radical group in Iraq
PHOTO: AFP
GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES:
A Palestinian who was jailed for the 2011 murder in Gaza of an Italian activist has been killed fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Iraq, reports said Saturday.
Militants’ websites and Gaza media said that Mahmud al-Salfiti had escaped prison and fled the Gaza Strip in June to join the radical group in Iraq where he "died a martyr" fighting with IS.
In April 2011, Vittorio Arrigoni, a 36-year-old member of the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement, was found hanged in an abandoned house north of Gaza City.
Islamic State women and enforcers in Syria recount collaboration, anguish and escape
A Salafist group had posted a video of him online and threatened to kill him unless the Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, released an unspecified number of their members.
His murder sparked outrage around the world and also among Palestinians.
Salfiti was later arrested by Hamas, and in 2012 he was sentenced to life in prison by a military court.
The sentence was later reduced to 15 years and he was incarcerated in a Hamas prison.
"Mahmud al-Salfiti, who took part in the death of the heathen Italian Arrigoni and later jailed by Hamas... managed to escape five months ago and emigrate to Islamic State to die a martyr in the battle for Anbar," a statement on jihadist websites said.
Malik Ishaq was set to join Islamic State before his death, says official
Media in Gaza carried a similar statement and also published a picture of Salfiti.
There were no further details.
Iraqi security forces are battling to regain ground from IS militants in Anbar province west of Baghdad.
The extremist group has declared a "caliphate" on the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria.
A Palestinian who was jailed for the 2011 murder in Gaza of an Italian activist has been killed fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Iraq, reports said Saturday.
Militants’ websites and Gaza media said that Mahmud al-Salfiti had escaped prison and fled the Gaza Strip in June to join the radical group in Iraq where he "died a martyr" fighting with IS.
In April 2011, Vittorio Arrigoni, a 36-year-old member of the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement, was found hanged in an abandoned house north of Gaza City.
Islamic State women and enforcers in Syria recount collaboration, anguish and escape
A Salafist group had posted a video of him online and threatened to kill him unless the Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, released an unspecified number of their members.
His murder sparked outrage around the world and also among Palestinians.
Salfiti was later arrested by Hamas, and in 2012 he was sentenced to life in prison by a military court.
The sentence was later reduced to 15 years and he was incarcerated in a Hamas prison.
"Mahmud al-Salfiti, who took part in the death of the heathen Italian Arrigoni and later jailed by Hamas... managed to escape five months ago and emigrate to Islamic State to die a martyr in the battle for Anbar," a statement on jihadist websites said.
Malik Ishaq was set to join Islamic State before his death, says official
Media in Gaza carried a similar statement and also published a picture of Salfiti.
There were no further details.
Iraqi security forces are battling to regain ground from IS militants in Anbar province west of Baghdad.
The extremist group has declared a "caliphate" on the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria.