The Islamic State (IS) jihadi group claimed in its magazine that the widow of Paris supermarket gunman Amedy Coulibaly has linked up with it and was on IS soil, according to a report Tuesday
Washington: The Islamic State (IS) jihadi group claimed in its magazine that the widow of Paris supermarket gunman Amedy Coulibaly has linked up with it and was on IS soil, according to a report Tuesday.
According to a CNN report, the second issue of the IS's French language magazine Dar al Islam, which began circulating on pro-IS Twitter accounts Wednesday, contains a purported two-page interview with Hayat Boumeddiene, who was believed to have disappeared into Syria before the Jan 9 Paris attack.
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The magazine claimed that Boumeddiene safely reached the Islamic State, but offered no pictures or any other proof to corroborate the claim. French terrorism expert Jean-Charles Brisard told CNN that the magazine appeared to be an official IS publication and it was a sign that Boumeddiene had reached the Islamic State.
In the article, Boumeddiene was asked how Coulibaly felt about IS's announcement that it had established a caliphate, or an Islamic state, in territories across Syria and Iraq. He wanted to go to Syria or Iraq to fight, Boumeddiene reportedly answered.
The 26-year-old Boumeddiene claimed in the purported interview that she encountered no difficulties in reaching IS territory and she felt good to be on IS soil. She did not provide any details on her role in the Paris attacks. The new issue of the magazine was titled "May Allah Curse France" and featured on its cover a picture of the Eiffel Tower being guarded by French soldiers. It also included several pictures showing the aftermath of the Paris attacks.
It praised Coulibaly and called for more attacks against those "insulting the Prophet (Muhammad)". The first issue of the magazine was published Dec 23 and was posted on IS's official Twitter account, according to Memri, an organisation tracking jihadi websites.
Boumeddiene is believed to have crossed into Syria from Turkey around the time Coulibaly started his terrorism spree in Paris. Coulibaly pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a video that he emailed before the kosher grocery store attack that killed four people. The recording was posted on pro-IS Twitter accounts. In January, CNN obtained surveillance video that purportedly showed Coulibaly and Boumeddiene outside a Jewish institution in Paris.
A source said that the nature of the video made it clear that the couple were carrying out surveillance of possible targets for months before Coulibaly launched his attack on the kosher supermarket. Coulibaly was shot death when police stormed the market.
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