18-year-old Muslim Kushtanashvili, native of village Dumasturi in Pankisi gorge in north-eastern Georgia, died in Syria, community radio station WAY reported on October 2.
The radio station, which is based in village Duisi of Pankisi gorge, did not specify whether Kushtanashvili died fighting for the “Islamic State” group, which had previously recruited dozens of locals.
Muslim Kushtanashvili left Georgia two years ago and travelled to Syria through Turkey at the age of 16, triggering questions on how an underage could manage to cross the border via airport independently without having a written consent from parents.
The news comes few weeks after the radio station reported on the death of 31-year-old Levan Tokhosashvili, citing his relatives in Pankisi gorge. The outlet, however, wrote few days later that Levan Tokhosashvili was alive and that he reached out to his family.
At least 26 natives of Pankisi gorge have died fighting in Syria since 2012.
According to the State Security Service, as of March 2016, there were “up to 50 Georgian citizens” fighting for extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.
