An Islamic State (IS) jihadist, who appears in a new video released by the terror outfit, was reportedly trained in counterterrorism tactics by the United States, officials said.
The U.S. State Department has identified the fighter as Colonel Gulmurod Khalimov, a former police commander from Tajikistan who participated in five counterterrorism training courses in the U.S. and Tajikistan, through the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security/Anti-Terrorism Assistance program, the CNN reported.
The video shows the jihadist, clad in black IS uniform and holding a sniper rifle and ammunition, saying that he had participated in programs on U.S. soil three times. He also asserts that he knew how the U.S. taught its soldiers to surround and attack and warned that the terror group will come to Americans’ homes and kill them.
He then demonstrates his prowess with a sniper rifle by shooting a tomato from a distance of 25 yards. The scene is played in slow motion.
Experts have warned that the revelation did not just signify a propaganda victory for the terror group but also access to an insider’s knowledge of the playbook the U.S. resorted to in its fight against IS. (ANI)