Notorious Australian militant 'may still be alive'

Convicted terrorist Khaled Sharrouf is one of many Australians fighting with IS

Australian Islamic State (IS) militant Khaled Sharrouf may still be alive, according to local media.

The Australian government had been trying to confirm reports Sharrouf and fellow Australian Mohamed Elomar were killed in the Middle East.

It is now believed Elomar died in an air strike, but convicted terrorist Sharrouf may have survived.

The two men came to public attention last year after they posted pictures of severed heads in Syria on social media.

Some of those photos showed Sharrouf's seven-year-old son holding up the severed head of a Syrian soldier.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said last week the government was close to verifying Elomar's death.

However, on Sunday she said security and intelligence agencies were working to verify reports that Sharrouf had survived the coalition air strike "which is believed to have killed Mohamed Elomar", reported Nine News.

'Faked' death

The two Australian men had travelled to Syria and then Iraq in 2013 to fight with IS.

Local media on Monday reported Elomar was recently killed by a drone strike but his friend was not killed.

Members of Sharrouf's family in Sydney also said Elomar had been killed.

Sharrouf's mother-in-law Karen says her daughter wants to come back to Australia

Security officials are now checking the possibility Sharrouf faked his death in a bid to get his family back to Australia, the Daily Telegraph has reported.

His wife, Tara Nettleton, and their five young children, joined him in Syria, where his then 13-year-old daughter married Elomar.

Sharrouf was sentenced to four years in prison in 2009 for his role in a terror plot involving targets in Sydney and Melbourne.

He was arrested with several others in 2005 in what was then the largest anti-terror raid in Australian history.

Ms Nettleton's mother, Karen Nettleton, says her daughter and grandchildren want to return to Australia.

The Australian government has not offered them any assistance to return.

Officials have suggested Tara Nettleton might be prosecuted for supporting terrorist activity.