South Africa mosque attack suspects linked to Daesh

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Eleven men accused of attacking a Shia mosque and placing explosives in multiple shopping malls in South Africa were inspired by the teachings of Daesh, a court heard Tuesday.

State prosecutors told a family court in Verulam, in the outskirts of Durban city, that they had found eight Daesh flags and newsletters in their residence during a police raid, local media reported.

An affidavit read out in court by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), which investigates organized crime, alleged that the men had been found with a manual on how to make bombs and carry out assassinations.

The men arrested two weeks ago are accused of stabbing three people at a mosque in KwaZulu-Natal province in May, killing one of them.

They are also accused of placing explosives in June and August at major stores in shopping malls with the aim of extorting money from the owners.

South African Muslims, who account for roughly 3 percent of the country's total population of 55 million, are largely moderate Muslims who condemn extremism.

But in the past four years, there have been several unconfirmed reports that Muslim youths in the country were reportedly joining Daesh.

In late 2014, the former Iraqi ambassador to Pretoria, Husham al-Alawi, told Anadolu Agency that South Africans were joining the terrorist group.

"Over the past few months, we have received information that South African citizens have been killed in Syria," the Iraqi diplomat told Anadolu Agency in an interview at the time.

When contacted, at the time, Muslim governing bodies in the country said they were not aware of the claims.

Several mosques in the country have been warning youth not to join Daesh or any terrorist group.