Up to 30 British Militants Killed in Syria, Toll to Rise: Report

Thursday 16 October 2014

Up to 30 British Militants Killed in Syria, Toll to Rise: Report

The Daily Telegraph reported that latest estimates suggested up to 30 British militants are now believed to have died fighting alongside ISIL and other terror groups in Syria.

In the report, published late on Tuesday, the daily quoted experts as saying that rising death toll is a sign that young British Muslims are still being sucked in by the warped ideology of ISIL and are heading to the war-torn country in growing numbers.

British militants fighting with the rank of ISIL

Four British fanatics, including a teenager from Brighton, are said to have died in a single US air strike last month alone.

But the stream of reported deaths could serve as an inspiration for other would-be Takfiri militants to head for Syria rather than as a deterrent, experts have warned, according to the daily.

The Telegraph quoted senior research fellow Shiraz Maher as saying: because of the difficulties in accessing information in Syria the true total is “almost certainly higher than that”. Security sources believe at least 20 have died.

Among them is 19-year-old Ibrahim Kamara, from Brighton, who died in a US air strike in Allepo last month along with three other unnamed Britons.

Kamara, whose combat name was Khalil al – Brittani, was thought to have been fighting for al – Nusra, an affiliate group of al – Qaeda, at the time.

In April Abdullah Deghayes, 18, was killed in battle. His father, Abubaker, described him as a “martyr” and revealed that two of his other sons, Amer, 20, and Jafar, 16, were also in Syria.

Last December, Ifthekar Jaman, 23, from Portsmouth, who had described his experiences as “five-star jihad” was also killed.