A 17-year-old teenager has been featured as the main focus of a new Islamic State video released on Monday, where he is seen threatening Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and U.S. President Barack Obama, among other world leaders, in an unmistakably Aussie accent.
Identified as Abdullah Elmir from southwest Sydney, the teen refers to himself as Abu Khaled and claims that "we will not put down our weapons until we reach your lands" in the newly released 90-second clip, according to BBC News.
"To the leaders, to Obama, to Tony Abbott I say this; these weapons that we have, these soldiers, we will not stop fighting, we will not put down our weapons until we reach your lands," he states to the camera in English.
"Until we put the black flag on top of Buckingham Palace, until we put the black flag on top of the White House we will not stop," he adds.
In June, the Australian teen ran away to join ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria after telling his parents that he was going on a fishing trip. Although his 16-year-old friend, Feiz, was allegedly intercepted by his father en route to Iraq, Elmir carried on traveling to Syria via Turkey, according to The Australian Associated Press.
While friends described him as a normal teenager, his parents have claimed that he was "brainwashed" into joining the terrorist organization.
"The use of a foreign fighter as a mouthpiece, especially an English-speaking one, is consistent with previous propaganda issued by the Islamic State. Speaking with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, terrorism expert Greg Barton said that videos like this are blatant recruitment tactics intended to lure more young foreigners," according to The Huffington Post.
Meanwhile, a government spokesman said the video proved how necessary it was for Australia to fight against the threat posed by ISIS. "That is why Australia has joined the coalition to disrupt and degrade ISIL in Iraq," the spokesman said.
The country has recently become "a major contributor to the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group," according to BBC News. "It has committed a total of 600 military personnel to the fight."
With an increasing number of Australian citizens traveling to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State, the first of a series of security powers requested by the Australian government to combat the terrorist group got passed through parliament in October, Reuters reported.
Despite facing criticism from journalists, Australia's government is taking every measure to target what authorities claim are the extremist group's members and supporters, with conservative Abbott warning that the balance between freedom and security "may have to shift."
