Britain’s Daily Telegraph reports that up to 60 British citizens have been killed fighting for Islamic militias since Syria dissolved into civil war 4 years ago.
With around 700 jihadists from the UK, Syria and Iraq are also a focal point for fundamentalist fighters from across the globe. Islamic State (IS) has recruits from Chechnya, Tajikistan, north Africa and even China, although Charlie Winter, a senior researcher and the Quilliam Foudnation, told the ‘paper,
“It’s also worth noting that it’s not just Islamic State that these numbers are derived from, and there has been very fierce fighting in northern Syria in particular in which there is a good chance that a few Britons died as well.”
The UK also released figures detailing that at least 43 women and girls have fled the UK to join IS.
The British government is expected to release plans for an expansion to its current bombing in Iraq to include targets in Syria. The House of Commons will be asked to vote on the issue in the coming weeks, and it is expected to meet with fierce debate.
Winter explained that casualties are on the rise in the conflict.
“Just from a monitoring basis I’ve noticed a lot more reports coming through among jihadists that British fighters have died, be that in battle or suicide operations.”
