The photograph of a young boy holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier and printed in an Australian newspaper on Monday shows just how dangerous militant group ISIL (Islamic State) is, said Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot.<br /><br />He described the photo of the boy, understood to be the son of convicted Australian terrorist, Khaled Sharrouf, as “hideous” and “barbaric.”<br /><br />In a series of photos originally published on Twitter, Sharrouf posed alongside three young boys believed to be his sons in front of the militant group’s flag. Another photo showed a boy holding a firearm.<br /><br />Chuck Hagel, US Secretary of Defence, said the photo of the young boy holding the head of a slain soldier proves the dangers the group poses to the Western world.<br /><br />“ISIL is a threat to the civilised world, certainly to the United States, to our interests, it is to Europe, it is to Australia,” said Hagel. “And I think reflected in a local newspaper I saw this morning, with a picture on the front page, it’s pretty graphic evidence of the real threat that ISIL represents.”<br /><br />Sydney jihadist Sharrouf, had been banned from leaving Australia because of the threat he posed.<br /><br />But last year he used his brother’s passport and fled to Syria with his wife and sons. <br /><br />Sharif is Australia’s most wanted terrorist and is now an ISIL fighter.<br /><br />Five years ago, he was accused of stockpiling bomb-making materials and plotting terrorist attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.<br /><br />The Australian government believes at least 150 of its citizens are involved in fighting or actively supporting the militant group in Syria and Iraq.<br /><br />The Obama administration meanwhile announced on Monday it has begun directly providing weapons to Kurdish forces who have started to make gains against Islamic militants in northern Iraq.
