London: Counter-terror police have issued an appeal for information about three London schoolgirls who are believed to have fled to Daesh-controlled Syria.
The three friends left their homes in East London last Tuesday 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 appeal for them to come home.
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.”
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 as to why they would be out for the day.
Then they met and travelled to Gatwick airport.
They boarded a Turkish Airlines flight, TK1966, which departed at 12.40pm to Istanbul, Turkey and landed at 6.40pm local time.
Shamina is described as approximately five-feet-seven-inches tall, wearing black thick-rimmed glasses, a black hijab, light brown and black leopard-print scarf, dark red jumper, black trousers and jacket, carrying a dark blue cylindrical holdall with white straps.
She is a British national and speaks English with a London accent.
She also speaks Bengali.
Kadiza is described as five-feet-six-inches tall, of slim build and wearing black rimmed glasses, a long black jacket with a hood, grey striped scarf, grey jumper, dark red trousers, and carrying a black holdall. She is a British national and speaks English with a London accent.
She also speaks Bengali.
The third missing girl, who is not being named at the request of her family, is described as five-feet-six-inches tall, of slim build, wearing black thick rimmed glasses, black headscarf, long dark green jacket with fur-lined hood, light yellow long-sleeved top, black trousers, white trainers and carrying a black Nike holdall. She speaks English and Amharic.
In the first public appeal of its kind, Walton said officers were concerned about the numbers of girls and young women who have or are intending to travel to Syria to link up with Daesh.
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.
“The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those under the control of Islamic State [Daesh], leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return.
“If we are able to locate these girls whilst they are still in Turkey we have a good possibility of being able to bring them home to their families ...”
