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Three missing 'straight-A' London schoolgirls 'travelling to Syria to join Isil'
Published 20/02/2015 | 14:31
Independent News Service
The girls, all pupils at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, on CCTV at Gatwick Airport Photo: Met Police The girls, all pupils at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, on CCTV at Gatwick Airport Photo: Met Police
Scotland Yard is appealing for information about three teenage schoolgirls who are believed to be trying to make their way to Isis-controlled territories in Syria.
Shamima Begum, 15, possibly travelling under the name of Aklima Begum and Kadiza Sultana, 16, are missing along with a 15-year-old girl who is not being named at the request of her family.
All three girls left their homes at 8am on Tuesday morning and met at Gatwick Airport, where they boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police urgently appealed for information about the missing girls, who all go to the Bethnal Green Academy school and were described as "straight-A students".
Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) Commander Richard Walton said: “We are extremely concerned for the safety of these young girls and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to police. Our priority is the safe return of these girls to their families.
"We are reaching out to the girls using the Turkish media and social media in the hope that Shamima, Kadiza and their friend hear our messages, hear our concerns for their safety and have the courage to return now, back to their families who are so worried about them."
Commander Walton said he was concerned “about the numbers of girls and young women who have or are intending to travel to the part of Syria that is controlled by the terrorist group calling themselves Isis”.
He said the girls are good friends with another 15-year-old who ran away to Syria in recent months.
“It is an extremely dangerous place and we have seen reports of what life is like for them and how restricted their lives become. It is not uncommon for girls or women to be prevented from being allowed out of their houses or if allowed out, only when accompanied by a guardian.
“The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those under the control of Islamic State, leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return."
Shamima and the unidentified girl were reported missing by their families on Tuesday night. Kadiza was reported missing on Wednesday morning.
Shamina is described as 5''7" tall, and wearing black thick rimmed glasses, a black hijab, light brown and black leopard print scarf, dark red jumper, black trousers and jacket.
Kadiza is described as 5'6" tall, of slim build and wearing black rimmed glasses, a long black jacket with a hood, grey striped scarf, grey jumper, dark red trousers, carrying a black holdall.
The third missing girl is described as 5'6" tall, of slim build, wearing black thick rimmed glasses, black head scarf, long dark green jacket with fur lined hood, light yellow long sleeved top, black trousers, white trainers carrying a black Nike holdall.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call the incident room via the free phone Anti-Terrorist Hotline number on 0800 789 321.
Footage of the girls at Gatwick airport. Photo: SCMP Pictures
British counter-terror police have made an unprecedented appeal to find three schoolgirls who are believed to have fled to Islamic State-controlled Syria as part of what officers said was a "growing trend".
The three friends left their homes in east London and caught a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, from where they are feared to have tried to travel to the front line in Syria.
Detectives have issued images of Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and an unnamed third friend travelling through Gatwick airport as they issued an urgent call for them to come home. In the first public appeal of its kind in Britain, Counter Terrorism Command Commander Richard Walton said officers were concerned about the numbers of girls and young women who had or were intending to travel to Syria to link up with Islamic State.
He said: "It is an extremely dangerous place, and we have seen reports of what life is like for them and how restricted their lives become. It is not uncommon for girls or women to be prevented from being allowed out of their houses or if allowed out, only when accompanied by a guardian." Walton appealed to anyone with information about the girls to come forward and speak to police, saying he was "extremely concerned" about their safety.
The girls, who all go to Bethnal Green Academy school in east London, were friends with another 15-year-old girl who fled to Syria last December. Counter-terrorism officers said the three girls left their homes before 8am last Tuesday, providing their families with plausible reasons for being out for the day.
Instead they met and travelled to Gatwick airport. They boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.
Police believe the three received support in planning the trip. An estimated 550 Western women have travelled to join the militants in Iraq and Syria.
Police and security agencies facing questions after school girls head to Syria
Demands for inquiry over how Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase able to leave UK despite one being in contact with an extremist
Kadiza Sultana Amira Abase and Shamima Begum Photo: Metropolitan Police
By Tom Whitehead, Security Editor
6:57PM GMT 22 Feb 2015
The police and intelligence agencies faced demands for an inquiry over how three young school girls were able to head for Syria despite at least one being in contact with a known extremist.
The families of Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, issued emotional appeals on Sunday for them to return amid claims they had already joined Isil.
It emerged yesterday that no action was taken after Shamima contacted Asqa Mahmood, a 20-year-old from Glasgow who has encouraged other girls to join her in Syria.
A lawyer for Mahmood’s family said at the very least police should have alerted Shamima’s family to the fact she was in contact with an extremist and that parents should now expect an inquiry into what went wrong.
It is feared the trio, who left the UK last Tuesday, have followed a school friend who travelled out to Syria in December.
In an emotional plea, Shamima’s sister said she hoped they had only gone to try and bring their friend home while Amira’s father revealed she had told him she was going to a wedding in “a place is a little bit far”.
It is believed the youngsters, who all attended the same east London school, may have been radicalised online and former minister Baroness Warsi warned Britain was fighting an "ever-losing battle” against such a threat.
Commons Leader William Hague used the case of the three girls to reignite calls for the police and security services to have wider snooping powers.
Days before fleeing, Shamima contacted Aqsa Mahmood on Twitter but no one alerted her parents, according to the Mahmood family lawyer Aamer Anwar.
Asqa’s family have labelled her a disgrace, but Mr Anwar added there was also “incredulity” that no action was taken.
“We are aware from contacts with special branch and the police that her social media is regularly checked and regularly monitored.
“The idea that a 15 year old should make contact with Asqa, who is regarded as a terrorist, a member of Isil, yet no action is taken.
“The family of a young girl do not have the customary knock on the front door?
“Surely families have a right to demand an inquiry in to what has gone wrong here.”
There have also been questions as to how three young girls could get a flight to Istanbul – a known route for going on to Syria – without sparking concern from border officers or the airlines.
Police are hoping bad weather in Turkey may delay their plans but one Isil figure claimed the girls were already there.
The source claimed the trio were met by a man know only as Abu Muttasem who took them to the border Ackacale where they met another man who helped them cross.
Amira’s father, Abase Hussen, 47, said the family “cannot stop crying” and urged his daughter to return.
He said there was no clues to her plans and on the day she disappeared she sent him a text saying “dad the place is a little bit far. I pray my midday prayer and I get back'.”. But she did not return.
“The message we have for Amira is to get back home. We miss you. We cannot stop crying. Please think twice. Don't go to Syria."
Shamima's older sister Renu Begum, 27, said their mother last saw her on Tuesday morning as she got on a bus after claiming she had extra classes at school.
She said she hopes the girls travelled to "talk some sense" into their friend who went to Syria in December.
"She was upset about her friend leaving," she went on. "She knew it was a silly thing to do.
Describing Shamima, she said: "She's friendly, she's kind, she's really intelligent. She's got an answer for everything.
"She's a clever girl but she's only young and young minds can easily be swayed."
Reading a message to Kadiza, her older sister Halima Khanom said: "We want you to know that we all miss you and we love you.
"Everyone is hurting because we don't know if you are safe, especially mum.
"Find the courage in your heart to contact us and let us know how you are and if you are OK. That is all we ask."
