Britons Trying To Cross Into Syria Held To Be Deported

Britons held by Turkish officers at a military outpost at Ogulpinar in the south of the country for trying to cross illegally from Turkey into Syria are expected to be deported today; they are nine in total includes two women and four children.
Footage released this morning shows the Britons arriving at a police station in the Southern Hatay province.

Two children - a boy and a girl - could be seen inside the military vehicle. The Britons were then escorted inside the police station.

Turkish MP Mehmet Ali Ediboglu said late on Wednesday: "They are being held at a paramilitary outpost. Probably, they will be deported to their country tomorrow (Thursday)."

It was not clear why the nine Britons were trying to cross the border.

Thousands of foreigners have joined the ranks of Islamic State and other radical groups in Syria and Iraq, many of them crossing through Turkey.

UK security services alone estimate 600 Britons have gone to Syria or Iraq to join militant groups.

Turkey has faced criticism for not doing enough to control its south-eastern borders.

The country has in turn accused European nations of failing to prevent would-be jihadists from travelling in the first place.

The planned deportation comes as a new UN report says more than 25,000 foreign fighters have travelled to join al Qaeda, IS and other splinter groups.

The fighters, from more than 100 countries, have travelled to areas including Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and the Philippines. 

The report said its analysis indicates that the number of foreign terrorist fighters worldwide increased by 71% between mid-2014 and March 2015.

 

Skynews