Islamic State group: Canadian narrator of propaganda videos jailed

A US court has sentenced a Canadian citizen who produced and narrated propaganda videos for the Islamic State group (IS) to life in prison.

Saudi-born Mohammed Khalifa was found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to the group.

The US Department of Justice said Khalifa, 39, had been a "formidable figure" within IS and personally killed two captive Syrian soldiers.  

IS was defeated by Iraqi forces and a US-led coalition in 2017.

But the group still maintains a presence in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, as well as the Horn of Africa and West Africa.

US prosecutors say Khalifa provided English-speaking narration for 15 propaganda videos that glorified horrific murders designed to incite attacks and recruit others to the group. 

Khalifa, who grew up in Toronto, travelled to Syria in spring of 2013, and joined IS that November. He worked within the IS media operation until late 2018.

In 2014 alone, the unit released videos of the beheading of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and of British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines.

In January 2019, Khalifa was captured in Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed, Kurdish-led militia.

Armed with three grenades and an AK-47, he had carried out a solo attack on an SDF position in Abu Badran, Syria, said the US justice department.

He threw one grenade at SDF forces on the roof of the compound, before running inside where he engaged in a gunfight with a soldier on the stairs.

Khalifa fired most of his ammunition before his AK-47 jammed, and he surrendered.

He was later handed over to the FBI.

Khalifa pleaded guilty to the terrorism charges last December.