WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) — German rap artist Deso Dogg, who joined Islamic State fighters in Syria, was killed by a U.S. airstrike, the Pentagon said.
Born Denis Cuspert and also known as Abu Talla al-Almani after his conversion to Islam, the rapper was involved in Millatu Ibrahim, a German group that supports IS — also identified as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh.
The U.S. State Department called Cuspert a “specially designated global terrorist” who “appeared to serve as an ISIL recruiter with special emphasis on recruiting German speakers to ISIL.” He was killed Oct. 16 in a coalition airstrike while riding in a pickup truck in Raqqa, Syria.
There had been rumors of his death in the past.
“Cuspert was a foreign terrorist fighter and operative for ISIL who used social media to take advantage of disaffected youth and potential Western recruits. He publicly threatened the president of the United States and German citizens. He also encouraged Western Muslims to conduct attacks,” said Defense Department spokeswoman Elissa Smith in a statement.
Cuspert, 39, was identified by German intelligence officials in 2014 as a “well-known German-speaking demagogue of the armed jihad,” in a 25-page report.
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