It appears South Africa has their first confirmed ISIS casualty, a 23-year-old man who travelled from Vereeniging to join up with the terrorist cell in Syria.

The man is Fayaaz Valli, who duped his father into believing he was travelling to join the humanitarian efforts and left the suburb of Roshnee two years ago. Here’s Press Reader:

A confidential foreign intelligence report claims that Fayaaz Valli was one of a group of young South Africans who pretended they were working for an orphanage on the Turkish border but had crossed over into Syria to join IS.

The report said he was buried in Syria in October 2013 after being “killed in combat”.

Valli is actually one of two men from South Africa to die fighting alongside ISIS, although the identity of the second man (who also hails from Roshnee) remains unknown to the public. Reports suggest that 23 South Africans have been deported from Turkey due to concerns they intended to join ISIS, a number so alarming that crisis talks were held between the Minister of Safety and Security David Mahlobo and prominent local Muslim organisations. Here’s Mahlobo’s spokesman:

The issue of international terrorism and active recruitments within social media is a matter of concern that requires the total sum of all our efforts.

It appears we may have some real problems here, and I would suggest the folks of Roshnee in particular keep a close eye on those heading in that general direction. We can’t blame them for wanting to leave Vereeniging, but there are surely more pleasant destinations than Syria to soak up some sun.

[source:pressreader]