TWIN sisters aged 16 have fled their British home and secretly flown to Syria. It is feared the Muslim schoolgirls have answered the call to join 1,500 young British men preparing to wage jihad. The sisters mother and father were fast asleep as they sneaked silently out of their family home. The parents were bewildered when they first went into the girls’ room at 8am and found their beds empty. But surprise quickly turned to alarm and suspicion when the family checked with the sixth-formers’ college to see if they had gone in early — and found they had not turned up at all. The frantic parents then contacted police to report their daughters had gone missing from their house in Manchester. Cops soon discovered the twins’ passports and some belongings were missing and established they had flown to Istanbul in Turkey. Counter-terrorism officers were alerted when the family reported the twins had been in contact from war-torn Syria. The girls — thought to be originally from Somalia — are said to be “extremely religious” Muslims. The Sun understands they travelled to Syria after an elder brother — who is believed to be an Isis fighter — went out there. A source said: “Two young girls don’t go to Syria to take in the sights so their family and the police are understandably worried. “Flying to Syria is not an offence in itself and they have been in touch to say they are safe and well. “But they have told their family they are not coming home.” It is feared the girls — who are thought to have nine brothers and sisters — have answered calls to join up to 1,500 young men from Britain who are said to be preparing to wage a terror war. A source said: “The family have been trying to persuade their daughters to come home but so far they have said they are happy to stay. “The police are hoping they will come back but it is clearly a concern the longer they are in Syria. What are they being taught?” It is believed the girls carefully planned the trip in advance and questions are being raised over where they found the cash for it while still in full-time education. Counter-terrorism officers are investigating whether their journey was bankrolled by rebel fighters waging jihad in Syria. The source added: “Where would two schoolgirls get that sort of money from? Police are looking into the possibility they were recruited by someone in Syria to join them there. “Police have been made aware that the girls have a brother who is abroad and could be in Syria.” When approached by The Sun, the girls’ parents denied their daughters were missing. But a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed they had received a report about them disappearing.(H)
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 12:55:27 +0000
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