US man found guilty of recruiting student for IS

New York : A US man from Arizona was found guilty Monday of recruiting a New York student who fought and died for the so-called Islamic State extremist group in Syria.

A jury convicted Ahmed Mohammed El Gammal, 44, on four terrorism counts, which carry a combined total of up to 55 years in prison. The verdict was returned after a three-week trial in a US federal court in New York.

Manhattan Attorney Preet Bharara welcomed the verdict, calling Gammal "an ambassador" for IS in America, who glamorized the jihadist group online and ultimately recruited and helped the student travel to an IS camp in Syria.

"To grow their brand of hate-filled violence and radicalization, terrorist organizations like ISIS need facilitators and promoters around the world," said Bharara using an alternative acronym for the group.

Gammal was found guilty of helping 24-year-old New York student Samy El Goarany travel to Syria to train with IS. Goarany was killed in Syria in 2015.

US prosecutors said Gammal was a vocal supporter of jihadists on social media, and corresponded with Goarany online, before travelling to New York and putting him in touch with a contact in Turkey to assist his journey.

Goarany flew to Turkey in January 2015, met up with the contact and went onto Syria, where he joined IS and remained in touch with Gammal.