IS allowed 50 terrorists to return to UK

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Apr 12 2016 | 6:43 PM IST
The Islamic State terror group reportedly allowed around 50 British recruits to return home from IS strongholds in Syria and Iraq over the past few months.
According to The Times, British counter-terrorism agencies are investigating documents that give permission to IS fighters holding UK passports to leave the region. This raises fears that they could be plotting attacks in Britain.
The so-called leaving permissions or exit cards, found among thousands of documents obtained by the Syrian website Zaman Al Wasl, include a British Iraqi dubbed Abu Bakr al-Iraqi, whose commander gave him permission to leave for "work" in July 2014.
The exit cards, only a few of which were disclosed tothe newspaper, are thought to provide a bureaucratic vouchsafe for fighters to be able to safely cross the ISIS border as the group is known to execute deserters.
The documents leak, which covers the very early days of IS rule in northern Syria and some of northern Iraq, first emerged last month and exposed the meticulous detail with which IS administers its recruitment process.
Other than "work", the cards included fighters leaving for "family circumstances" and "meeting his mother".
Saeed Hamid, an IS fighter from Birmingham, was given permission to leave but appears to have not returned to the UK before being killed.
The family of the 21-year-old were later sent a picture of his dead body.
They have been cooperating with UK counter-terrorism police and security services with their investigations.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 12 2016 | 6:43 PM IST

Next Story