Australian ISIS leader Mohammad Ali Baryalei 'more likely alive than dead'

• News broke last month that Mohammed Ali Baryalei died in airstrikes
• Defence force official says there is no signs to confirm these reports
• Baryalei fled from Sydney to Syria to join the Islamic State
• A warrant for his arrest was released for recruiting Australians to ISIS
• He is allegedly behind a plot to behead a random member of the public 

By Australian Associated Press and Nelson Groom for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 02:53 EST, 25 November 2014 | Updated: 02:55 EST, 25 November 2014

Former Kings Cross bouncer-turned-Islamic State recruiter Mohammad Baryalei is unlikely to be dead, according to a senior defence force chief.

Baryalei, who left Australia in 2013 to go to Syria, is the highest-ranked Australian in the Islamic State jihadist group.

Last month,reports emerged that he had died during air strikes in Syria, however Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was unable to confirm the death.

A warrant was put out for his arrest in September as it emerged Baryalei was recruiting fighters to the Islamic State's cause in Syria.

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Mohammed Ali Baryalei was reported to have died in airstrikes on the Islamic State last month

Vice Admiral David Johnston says he has seen no information to confirm social media reports the Australian was killed

Defence force chief of joint operations Vice Admiral David Johnston says he has seen no information to confirm social media reports the Australian was killed in Syria last month. 

'Increasingly, it looks less likely than likely,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

'I have not seen anything to indicate, on balance, that he is dead.'

His phone calls to Australia, allegedly regarding a plot to behead a random member of the public, sparked the largest anti-terrorism raids in the country's history, which targeted 25 homes in NSW and Queensland.

A social media report at the end of October said Baryalei had been martyred, although it gave no details, and the Australian government was unable to confirm the reports.

Vice Admiral Johnston says he has seen reports indicating a number of IS leaders have been targeted in air strikes, and there is no doubt that is having an impact on their leadership capability.  

 His phone calls to Australia, allegedly regarding a plot to behead a random member of the public, sparked the largest anti-terrorism raids in Australian history

Australian Federal Police conduct terror raids across Sydney

The Baryalei family arrived in Australia more than 30 years ago as refugees from Afghanistan. 

Unbeknownst to his family, Baryalei chose to join terror group Jabhat al-Nusra then the Islamic State.

During the September terror raids, Mohammed Baryalei was named by police as the instigator behind a plot to behead a member of the public in an Australian city which was to be filmed with the victim draped in the Islamic State's black flag. 

He worked with the Street Dawah movement, a group of Muslims who recruited on the streets of western Sydney.   

Mr Baryalei, who left Australia in 2013 to go to Syria, is the highest-ranked Australian in the Islamic State jihadist group

In a briefing to reporters on Australian operations in Iraq, Mr Johnston said Australian Super Hornet aircraft had conducted raids on IS facilities, hitting vehicles, compounds and fighting positions.

As well, Australian C-130J Hercules transport aircraft had conducted a further four humanitarian air drops of food, water, tents and blankets to civilians on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq during the past week.

The Australian aircraft were part of a multinational coalition conducting the air drops before the harsh Iraqi winter.

That follows two air drops to the same area in August, Australia's first missions of the Iraq campaign. 

 Mr Baryalei worked with the Street Dawah movement, a group of Muslims who recruited on the streets of western Sydney