Defence Force takes fight against ISIL to Twitter with @Fight_DAESH account

The Australian Defence Force has taken the fight against the Islamic State terror group to social media, launching the Fighting Daesh account under the handle @Fight_DAESH.

The account has so far posted two tweets, both discrediting the Twitter account @Battar_21.

The account purports to be “correcting false information disseminated on Twitter by DAESH and its sympathisers”.

Followers are encouraged to use the tags #DAESHLies, #DefeatDAESH and #NoToDAESH.

Daesh is another name for the terror group known as Islamic State or ISIL.

Defence Minister Kevin Andrews told the Herald Sun the terror group was increasingly turning to the internet to “propagate their lies and advance their evil ways”.

“Defence has established an online capability that monitors Daesh military propaganda, identifies false posts and responds with factual information to counter this narrative on Twitter,” Mr Andrews said.

“We must always be vigilant to the lies being perpetrated by Daesh.”

It is the first time the department has used social media for anti-propaganda activity.