A Malaysian militant, Mohd Nizam Ariffin, was killed in a clash between Islamic State (IS) fighters and Iraqi security forces in Mosul on Friday.

Intelligence sources told The Star there were no other details on the 38-year-old militant, also known as Abu Afghan.

Nizam’s death brings the number of Malaysian militants killed in Iraq and Syria to 31. Some 56 others are believed to be still fighting alongside IS militants.

The Star quoted sources as saying that Nizam, who was from Ipoh, left for Syria on March 6, 2014, and joined the Ajnad al-Sham militant group.

“But after former Kedah PAS Youth information chief Lotfi Ariffin died in September 2014, Nizam joined IS, where he teamed up with other Malaysian and Indonesian militants in Katibah Nusan­tara,” the source said.

The group Katibah Nusantara is said to be the IS’ Malay-speaking wing.

It was reported that Nizam appeared in an IS propaganda video in January last year with another militant, Abdul Halid Dari. Both said they were members of Katibah Nusantara.

In the video, they called on their “brothers” in the Somalian al-Shabaab group to join them on the Syrian frontline.

“They spoke in Bahasa Malaysia as they told al-Shabaab members to join IS.

“The Katibah militants also warned the Malaysian government against thwarting IS terror plots,” another source was quoted as saying. ­– June 11, 2017.