Hunt for body of Taliban Terry amid fears Ireland’s most notorious Muslim extremist faked his own death
According to Al Jazeera, Dubliner Khalid Kelly was killed in an operation in November last year although cops have never been able to officially confirm it.
A MUSLIM extremist convert, dubbed Taliban Terry, may still be alive despite rumours he was blown up in IS stronghold Tal Afar.
The suicide bomb flop was based in the Iraqi town, 70km east of Mosul.
Terence Kelly, 50, dubbed Taliban Terry, was killed in an operation in November last year, according to reports at the time from the Arab TV news station Al Jazeera.
Ireland’s most notorious Muslim extremist, died after he detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in the Iraqi city.
However, while the social media wing of IS reported his death, cops have never been able to officially confirm it.
We can also reveal how, months after his failed suicide op, rumours circulated that Kelly, originally from the Liberties in , may have faked his own death.
A source said: “There has been rumours over the past six months that he may not have died at all.
“But there is no evidence behind it. There has been zero contact with his family in the UK or people here. We’d love to get confirmation that he was dead, but it’s not likely to happen.
“Now that the town he was based in has fallen, there’s a possibility, but we wouldn’t hold out too much hope — he is probably dumped in a pit somewhere.”
Kelly’s suicide mission was a humiliating failure.
He drove an armoured truck laden with explosives at an Iraqi militia group, but it was blown up by government forces using a rocket-propelled grenade.
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Footage emerged reportedly of Kelly driving off on his mission, with a massive explosion later caught on video.
Cops also believe Kelly may have been forced to take on the mission as a public relations coup, and because he became a burden to fellow IS fighters.