1 May 2014

NZer killed in drone attack named

8:23 am on 1 May 2014

A national daily newspaper in Australia has named the New Zealander killed by a US drone attack in Yemen last year.

In its Thursday edition, The Australian named the man as Daryl Jones. Previously he had been known by aliases Muslim bin John and Abu Suhaib al-Australi.

A Predator drone at a United States airstrip.

A Predator drone at a United States airstrip. Photo: AFP / Getty Images North America

Another man, 27-year-old Australian Christopher Havard, was also killed in the Predator drone strike on 19 November last year.

In revealing the information two weeks ago, Prime Minister John Key said the New Zealander was killed along with others, some of whom were al Qaeda operatives, but declined to give any further details.

Mr Key had been responding to a story about the incident published that day by The Australian. The journalist who wrote that story and revealed Mr Jones's identity on Thursday has relied on sources in the Middle East for much of his information.

The newspaper said Daryl Jones was in his 20s and had a partner living in New Zealand. Her identity is unknown.

Mr Jones' activities in New Zealand are little understood but Mr Key previously said a security warrant had been issued for him.

He is understood to have crossed the Tasman in recent years and The Australian said he attended Australia's largest mosque, the Lakemba Mosque in south-west Sydney.

He later went to the Middle East and Mr Key has said he attended a terrorist training camp in Yemen.