Denis Cuspert, a German rapper who joined Islamic State in 2014 and appeared in the terrorist group’s propaganda videos, was reported killed in Syria this week.
Cuspert was killed on Wednesday in eastern Syria by a US-led coalition strike that targeted a gathering of the Islamic State militants in eastern Syria, Rami Abdel-Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Friday.
Previously known by his German stage name Deso Dogg, Cuspert has been reported killed on more than one occasion.
“He was killed along with 14 other Islamic State members in the bombardment that hit an area called Gharanij located on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River,” Abdel-Rahman told dpa.
The pro-Islamic State al-Wafa online outlet reported the death of Cuspert, who took the jihadist nome de guerre Abu Talha al-Almani.
The al-Wafa report carried a photo purportedly showing Cuspert’s dead body with a bloodied face.
The latest report of his death was more compelling than those previous due to the details and a photo that seemingly showed Cuspert’s bloodied corpse, the US-based Intelligence Group SITE said on Thursday.
His death has not yet been confirmed by Islamic State.
Cuspert – who was of German-Ghanaian descent and was born in Berlin – is believed to have converted to Islam in 2010 before joining the Islamic State in 2014.
The 42-year-old was seen by German intelligence agencies as a dangerous propaganda tool because of the influence he wielded as a rap icon for young Germans.
He appeared in Islamic State propaganda videos in which he called on German Muslims to pledge allegiance to the extremist group’s self-declared caliphate.
He also called for attacks in Europe.
In 2015, his name was added to a US list of known terrorists. He was also on a UN list of people who pose a terrorist threat.(dpa/NAN)
