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Islamic State fighter's dad cries recounting search for son

Posted at 2:09 PM, Jan 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-19 16:09:56-05

The father of an Islamic State group fighter has told a jury at the terrorism trial of an Arizona man how he searched desperately for his son.

Mohamed el-Goarany cried Thursday describing efforts to find his son Samy after the college student flew to Turkey in January 2015.

The testimony came in the New York trial of Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal. The suburban Phoenix man pleaded not guilty to charges he aided the Islamic State group by helping Samy el-Goarany.

El-Goarany's parents and a brother testified this week.

Mohamed el-Goarany became emotional as he described his wife telling him she believed they would never see their son again after Samy disappeared in January 2015.

He testified that his son died in November 2015 fighting for the Islamic State group.