Islamic State figure pleads guilty to aiding terrorist group

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A Canadian citizen who traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State group nearly a decade ago has pleaded guilty to serving as one of the group’s more prominent English-language propagandists. Mohammed Khalifa pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death. The hearing was held in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. Court records say Khalifa left Canada in 2013 for Syria, where prosecutors say he narrated two notorious propaganda videos. Captured in 2019, he was brought to Virginia earlier this year to face charges. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison at sentencing set for April.