French Grandma And 10 Family Members Allegedly Join ISIS In Syria
Three generations of a French family, including a grandmother and a six-month-old baby, are reportedly heading to Syria to join up with ISIS.
The family — which reportedly includes the matriarch’s three children, their spouses, and four grandchildren — formerly lived in Nice on the French Riviera before they packed up and left for the Middle East.
The grandfather, who apparently was not part of the plan, notified authorities that they were missing persons after two of the grandchildren did not show up for school this week. “When he checked his daughter’s Twitter he account, he saw that she had posted photos from Turkey,” The Local reported.
Most Europeans who wish to affiliate with the ISIS army apparently gain access to war-torn Syria by way of Turkey. “Before leaving, the woman notified her sons’ teachers that they were going to be out a week because of a death in the family. But the kids never returned,” the New York Post added. “The family converted to Islam and is believed to have entered Syria through Turkey in September,” the Post noted.
French anti-terrorism police are conducting an investigation into the missing family’s whereabouts and/or to confirm the validity of the report that they have left for Syria to become ISIS recruits.
Authorities in general have become increasingly concerned about radicalized individuals returning to their home countries after participating in the armed conflict in Syria. “Many thousands of people who had formerly been residing in European nations have now fled to war-torn Syria and Iraq, to take part in the foundation of a new Islamic caliphate. While many appear determined to stay, Western intelligence agencies are becoming acutely aware of the dangers of returning jihadists, who come to Europe with the willing[ness] and ability to attack their host nations,” Breitbart News explained.
Although estimates differ as to how many Europeans have joined ISIS, France’s prime minister recently informed the country’s lawmakers that “around 1,000 French citizens are involved in jihadist networks, with an estimated 580 having traveled to fight in Syria and Iraq,” Al Arabiya News reported. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe.
Earlier this week, security officers arrested four men in London on suspected terrorism charges. The men were allegedly planning beheading attacks in that city. One of the suspects is believed to have trained with ISIS militants in Syria before returning to Britain.
[image via Bing]
