Man Who Schooled In Zambia Years Ago Becomes An ISIS Suicide Bomber. Photos

 

A former student of the International School of Lusaka with links to senior Islamic State officials has become a suicide bomber for the group, detonating a car bomb in the Iraqi city of Tikrit after filming a propaganda video.

The terrorist group recently released a video of “Abu Maryam al-Bengali” - subsequently identified as Bangladeshi national Neaz Morshed Raja, in which he speaks in English to call on others to take up jihad.

The video shows him sitting in vehicle with windows and panels covered in steel plates - the type of modifications used in car bombs to prevent the driver being shot before reaching the target site.

It then cuts to a large plumb of smoke purportedly from the suicide bombing, which a narrator claims occurred in Tikrit and targeted Shia Muslims.

It is unclear when the video was shot, and there is one claim that the suicide bombing could have been carried out as long ago as 2015. But one counter-terrorism expert said it was doubtful that Islamic State would have waited so long before releasing the footage.

Raja spent his teenage years growing up in Lusaka and attended International School of Lusaka, his father worked in Lusaka Zambia for many years before relocating to Bangladesh. Some former schoolmates at International School have expressed their shock to discover one of their friends/schoolmate was involved with IS.

An Australian publication, The Australian, understands Raja, 30, came to Australia to study at Victoria’s Deakin University a decade ago, but left the country before finishing his studies.