Trinidadian man captured while fighting for ISIS

Trinidadian ISIS man, reportedly of Trinidadian descent

One of two US fighters who were captured by Syrian Democratic Forces, fighting for ISIS, in said to be of Trinidadian descent.

According to a report from the BBC, Zaid Abed al-Hamid, 35 was among a group of people caught planning a terrorist attack on fleeing Syrian civilians. He was arrested along with two Pakistanis and one Irishman, suspected fighters involved in an operation to clear a region of northern Syria of remaining IS fighters.

The men were caught fighting for militant group, the Islamic state. Their capture came as part of Operation Jazeera Storm, a ploy to decimate the Islamic State’s last foothold in northern Syria, according to a statement from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Extremism researchers, according to the article, say Hamid may originally be from Trinidad.

“The Caribbean is seen as a recruitment ground for the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS),” Juliana Ruhfus reported, “the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is the nation with the highest number of ISIS recruits per capita in the Western Hemisphere. At a conservative count, at least 130 Trinidadians have left for Syria and Iraq, which may not sound a lot, but the tiny two-island-nation has only 1.3 million inhabitants.”

According to Darlisa Ghouralal in an article written for Loop news, “Author Simon Cottee, who is writing a book about Trinidadian IS fighters, told the New York Times that Hamid’s name appears on a database of 130 men from Trinidad who are believed to have joined the group. A 2015 video from the Islamic State features a man believed to be Hamid discussing his conversion to Islam and the difficulties he experienced in practising his faith in Trinidad.

“Even though I had a very comfortable life in Trinidad, there was something that’s telling me, you know, that I don’t belong in this place,” he says in the propaganda video.

Mail online is reporting that Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Robertson told Fox News, “We are aware of open source reports of reportedly American citizens currently in custody who were believed to be fighting for ISIS. However, we are unable to confirm this information at this time. The incident is under investigation.”

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7 Comments

  1. Man bites dogs
    January 8, 2019

    @ Zandoli, By killing those gutter dogs will only encourage far more of them idiotic fools to join Islamic fighters in the hope if they get killed they’ll get 50 vergins each, OK come on man who would not die for that.

  2. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    January 8, 2019

    Is he of Trinidad decent, or is he a born Trinidadian?

    Being born of parent, or decedents of people from Trinidad does not make him a Trinidadian! All of my grandchildren are born in America my biological children are all born on the island of Antigua  the only way my children can be recognized as Dominicans, they would have to claim that right via an existing constitutional law.

    My grandchildren, and their children can also claim Antigua and Dominica citizenship by that same law, but until the take that action, they are neither Dominican nor Antiguan!

  3. Moin per
    January 8, 2019

    Watch those affiliated to the Polisario Front.They are also recruiting fighters!!

  4. Josh Shaw
    January 8, 2019

    I hope these ……. are tortured!

  5. zandoli
    January 8, 2019

    I don’t know why they bothered to capture these animals.

    • Man bites dogs
      January 8, 2019

      @ Zandoli, By killing those gutter dogs will only encourage far more of them idiotic fools to join Islamic fighters in the hope if they get killed they’ll get 50 vergins each, OK come on man who would not die for that.

      • A Girl is No One
        January 9, 2019

        Really though, who would? What would you prefer Man Bites Dog, night after night of having sex with inexperienced virgins, or with experienced women. lol

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