Generation jihadi: The British youth joining ISIS
An in depth look at some of the young Brits fighting in Iraq and Syria
Experts say 500 British jihadists have joined the Islamic State’s (aka ISIS) bloody campaign. Many of them have degrees from British universities, while others have chosen to join the Caliphate in Syria and Iraq straight from school.
Based on news reports, here are 19 of these young British Jihadists and what we know about them.
Where Britain’s young jihadis are coming from
Nasser Muthana
Age: 20
University: Accepted to study Medicine at four universities.
From: Cardiff.
Last known location: Syria.
Co-star in the ISIS recruitment video with Cardiff affiliate Reyaad Khan.
Muthana’s father alleged than his son was recruited through Call of Duty.
Mohammed Nahin Ahmed
Age: 22
University: Planned to study at Al Azhar University in Egypt.
From: Birmingham.
Last known location:Arrested upon entry to the UK
Birmingham-raised Ahmed was a former National Koran recital champion. He returned from Syria with Yusuf Zubair Sarwar after eight months to be apprehended by police.
Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary
Age: 23
University: Didn’t attend but is known as “Lyricist Jinn” or “L Jinny” due to his previous rap profession.
From: West London.
Last known location: Syria.
Abdel is suspected to be “Jihadi John”- responsible for the murder of US journalist James Foley- due to intelligence service voice recognition and his SoundCloud account.
Earlier this month he posted a tweet of him holding the severed head of an opposition militant.
The avid social media user has had his Twitter account suspended, but his SoundCloud has become more popular than ever.
Abu Abdullah al-Britani
Age: 32
University: None, he worked at Primark.
From: Portsmouth.
Last known location: Syria.
This British Jihadist is supposedly a member of the cell who was responsible for the murder of James Foley, which currently operates under the name “The Beatles”.
Al-Britani has a strong social media presence as he poses explicitly with a vast weapon collection, although his Twitter has since been suspended.
Reyaad Khan
Age: 20
From: Cardiff.
Last known location: Syria.
Before joining the conflict in Libya as a member of the Islamic State, Khan wanted to be Prime Minister. This was before he was found on social media bragging about watching “the longest decapitation ever”.
Cardiff-raised Khan was one of the three Brits who featured in the first ISIS recruitment video.
Mohammed el-Araj
el-Araj (left)
Age: 23 (deceased)
University: Unknown, but was studying to become a mechanical engineer.
From: Notting Hill.
Last known location: Syria.
Fled to Syria following an 18-month prison sentence for violently protesting outside the Israeli embassy.
Junaid Hussain
Age: 20
From: Birmingham.
Last known location: Syria.
Hussain, from Birmingham, hacked former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s personal details and posted them online. He then fled to Syria to join the Islamic State.
The 20 year old computer whizz once led a team of computer hackers who called themselves ‘Team Poison’.
Mahdi Hassan
Age: 19
University: Studied at an independent Catholic school in Portsmouth, which cost £10,000 a year for day borders.
Last known location: Syria.
Ibrahim al-Mazwagi
Age: 21 (deceased)
University: Graduated from Hertfordshire University.
Last known location: Syria.
Abdul Raqib Amin
Age: 26 (deceased)
University: An engineering student at Aberdeen University.
Last known location: Iraq.
Amer Deghayes
Age: 20
University: Fled to Syria straight after he left school in Brighton.
Last known location: Syria.
Deghayes recently featured in a VICE documentary on British ISIS recruits. Amer Deghayes was shot in the stomach in the same battle in which his younger brother, Abdullah Deghayes, died.
Abdullah Deghayes
Age: 18 (deceased)
University: Was due to attend Brighton University. From Brighton.
Last known location: Syria.
Abdullah was the nephew of Omar Deghayes, a Libyan citizen who was released without charge from Guantanamo Bay in 2007 and now lives in Britain.
Jaffar Deghayes
Age: 16
From Brighton.
Last known location: Syria.
The three brothers of 16, 18, and 20 all fled to Syria despite pleas from their father to return home.
Aseel Muthana
Age: 17
From: Cardiff.
Last known location: Syria.
Left to join brother Nasser Muthana.
Salma Halane
Age: 16
From: Manchester
Last known location: Syria, with twin sister Zahra
Zahra Halane
Age: 16
From: Manchester
Last known location: Syria with twin sister Salma
Aqsa Mahmood
Age: 20
University: Glasgow Caledonian, studying diagnostic radiography
Last known location: Syria
She tweeted calling others to copy murder of Lee Rigby. Her twitter has since been deleted.
Yusuf Zubair Sarwar
Age: 22
From: Birmingham
Last known location:Arrested upon return to the UK
Reported missing May last year, Sarwar went to Syria with childhood friend Mohammed Nahin Ahmed.
Both were arrested upon re-entry to the UK when their parents tipped off the police. They both pleaded guilty to terror charges.
Aine Davis
Age: 30
From: London.
Last known location: Syria.
Former drug dealer Davis was radicalised in prison, and his wife Amal El-Wahabi has been convicted of funding terrorism.
Do you know any other young people who have gone to fight in the Middle East? Let us know at [email protected].