Ten British women wage war in Syria as number of jihadists rises to 700

BATTLE READY: A female member of jihadist group Al-Nusra Front prepares for war [GETTY]

“There are around 10 British women out there, we believe, most have travelled to Syria with their husbands”

Radicalisation expert Shiraz Maher

Intelligence chiefs estimate the number of UK citizens joining the bloody civil war has rocketed.
At least 10 Brit women are said to have fled with their husbands to join rebel groups in the fight to oust hated President Bashar Assad.
Among the female jihadists fighting are two teenagers from Portsmouth, a woman from Surrey, two Londoners and five others from cities in the north of England.
Radicalisation expert Shiraz Maher told The Mirror: "There are around 10 British women out there, we believe, most have travelled to Syria with their husbands.
"They go believing they will fight jihad to overthrow Assad but may actually be getting in the way of the rebellion by joining groups and fuelling the infighting they are involved in."

ADVICE: A leaflet issued by police provides information for those thinking of travelling to Syria [GETTY]

Many of the British jihadists have joined the murderous faction Islamic State of Iraq and Syria which has even been disowned by al-Qaida for its bloody regime.
If the Brits sign up to the ISIS they could end up fighting some of the original freedom groups such as the prominent Free Syrian Army.
The UK's police counter-terrorism chief yesterday admitted that the authorities are powerless to stop young Muslims travelling to Syria.
The fear for British ministers is that while on the front line, British men could become radicalised having learned about bomb-making and weapons.
Nick Clegg voiced his concerns that fighters could return to Britain "filled with hate".
He said: "The security threat to us as a country – on British streets, British towns, British cities, British communities – from people going to Syria and coming back radicalised with violent intentions is one of the biggest security threats we face."

BOMBER: Abdul Waheed Majeed was responsible for the first British suicide bomb in Syria [PA]

 

The Deputy PM backed a national police initiative to urge women to stop their relatives from going to Syria to fight.
Critics have said by having the police launch the scheme relatives may think twice as they do not want to "criminalise" their family.
Forty people have been arrested for alleged Syria-related offences in the first three months of this year – compared to 25 in the whole of 2013.
Reports suggest that up to 20 British men have died in the conflict.
One of the most recent deaths was father-of-three from Crawley, Abdul Waheed, who became the first British suicide bomber in the Syrian war.
Security chiefs have said anyone who returns to Britain having fought in the war – even for the Free Syrian Army – faces arrest under anti-terrorism laws.

from Sophie Alexander dailystar