British muslims fighting For ISIS ‘four times UK government estimate’
25 Nov 2014 11:36 PM GMT
As many as 2,000 Britons have travelled to Syria to fight alongside ISIS, four times more than the official estimates, a Muslim British parliamentarian has claimed. Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, a constituency with a significant number of Muslims, has suggested this was a fourfold underestimation of the number of British jihadists fighting in the region.
‘The authorities say there are 500 British jihadists but the likely figure is at least three to four times that,’ he said. ‘I think 2,000 is a better estimate. My experience in Birmingham is it is a huge problem,’ he added. The UK govt has refused to say how many Britons had been arrested at UK borders in connection with terrorism in Syria, adding to concern the figure is very small and that the borders are worryingly porous. Home Secretary in an attempt to get to grips with the terrorist threat, will outline measures in a counter-terrorism and security bill requiring Internet companies to keep data allowing police to identify terrorists who plot attacks online.
‘The authorities say there are 500 British jihadists but the likely figure is at least three to four times that,’ he said. ‘I think 2,000 is a better estimate. My experience in Birmingham is it is a huge problem,’ he added. The UK govt has refused to say how many Britons had been arrested at UK borders in connection with terrorism in Syria, adding to concern the figure is very small and that the borders are worryingly porous. Home Secretary in an attempt to get to grips with the terrorist threat, will outline measures in a counter-terrorism and security bill requiring Internet companies to keep data allowing police to identify terrorists who plot attacks online.
Next Story
