Posing with an AK47 assault rifle over each shoulder , this British student has been named as a 'senior Islamic State commander ' responsible for recruiting hundreds of his countrymen . Nicknamed 'al-Britani Afro ' because of his hairstyle , rapper Raphael Hostey , 22 , has allegedly been instrumental in luring Britons to become fighters or jihadi brides in Syria . The news came as a shock to his neighbours , who remembered him as an innocent-looking 12-year-old boy obsessed with Manchester United . Menacing : A masked Raphael Hostey , 22 , brandishes AK47s in a photo on Twitter while wearing a floppy hat . Fresh faced : Hostey was remembered by his neighbours in Moss Side , Manchester , as an innocent boy . Just a few years later he would shun his British upbringing and leave his wife and child to join IS . Posting raps about jihad on Twitter , he has urged young women considering joining IS to 'come as soon as possible ' . Hostey 's identity was revealed by an alleged Syrian double agent arrested in Turkey , who was involved in recruiting the three teenage girls from east London who flew to Syria last month . Hostey left behind a wife and child to travel to the country in 2013 with two friends , Mohammed Javeed and Khalil Raoufi , both 20 . All three were students at Liverpool John Moores University . Javeed and Raoufi are thought to have died in fighting . Hostey , from Moss Side in Manchester , is known among jihadis for his afro hairdo . Under the name Abu Qaqa , he is thought to have used social media to lure many more British recruits to IS , including jihadi brides . In raps posted on Twitter , he has urged video game-loving followers to stop playing 'Call of Duty and Fifa ' and come 'to the khalifa ' ( or head of a Muslim state ) . He also posed wearing a floppy fisherman 's hat with his face covered and assault rifles on each shoulder . Commander : Under the name Abu Qaqa , he is thought to have used social media to lure British recruits to IS . Football fan : Hostey was remembered as a 12-year-old boy who was obsessed by Manchester United . Since travelling to Syria , he is believed to have risen to the rank of senior commander . Hostey was injured in fighting but has not come home and still brags of his exploits on social media sites . On Tumblr he told ' a sister in London ' to contact him privately when she asked for advice on life under IS . Born Raphel Saiho Hostey , he preferred to be known by the more anglicised name Raphael . Yesterday , neighbours said he 'loved playing football with other local lads ' . They also revealed his family home was raided by police in September , with officers searching it for days . Siful Khan , 27 , who lived opposite the red-brick semi for 15 years , said he was 'shocked ' to hear about Hostey 's alleged activities , adding : 'He used to wear a Manchester United shirt . He loved them . '
Rapper Raphael Hostey , 22 , allegedly involved in luring Britons to Syria . Using name Abu Qaqa , been instrumental in getting recruits to join ISIS . Hostey was remembered as innocent-looking 12-year-old Man United fan . Left behind a wife and child to travel with two friends from university . Comment: