Daunting task in hand for IS preacher in libya

Manama 

A former Bahraini citizen and notorious Islamic State (IS) preacher is apparently struggling to lead jihadists and strengthen his group’s presence in Libya, a London-based Arabic daily reported on Monday.

Quoting Libyan sources, the Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat confirmed that Turki Al Binali, 31, who was stripped off his citizenship last January and is known as the main preacher of IS, is currently working to restore reconciliation among other extremist groups such as Al Qaeda fighting in the war-torn country.

The report said that Al Binali, who is known to be a close sidekick of the so-called Caliph of the organisation Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, is seeking closing fissures and dissents among the fighting militias in Libyan cities of Darna, Sirte and North Banghazi.

“His task now is to reroute the followers of the Caliph and those of Al Qaeda Leader Ayman Al Dhawahri, as there are disputes among them. The increasing power of the National Libyan Army and the complicated situations on the Libyan grounds are not making it an easy job for Al Binali,” the report said.

The report also mentioned that “Al Binali is seeking the assistance of their fellow terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, to expand the IS domination in the African continent, especially that the state has been subjected to several defeats in Libya during the past couple of weeks.”

“Al Binali is utilising his deep-rooted connections with Al Qaeda leaders in Africa to spread IS’s command in the continent. But we’re closely monitoring the coastline to make sure that he doesn’t receive any supplies and to restrict his mobility,” a higher-ranking army official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

As reported earlier, Al Binali was number 17 on a list of 72 Bahrainis, who were stripped off their citizenships for various reasons, including joining terrorist organisations in conflicts abroad.

He was an Imam of a small mosque in Muharraq and became the chief religious speaker of the new “caliphate.”

International reports stated that he wrote books and lectured across Iraq and Syria to prove the legitimacy of the new Islamic State, in addition to inviting and recruiting new members.

With the emergence of IS in Libya, jihadists fighting under its flag have been immigrating to the North African state to set the foundation of the organization. They even launched an online campaign to recruit new members and facilitate their access to Libya.

By the end of last February, Al Binali was spotted in Libya with the responsibility of disseminating the ideologies of the organisation in the country and giving sermons to their potential followers.