Three missing schoolgirls have been reported as heading to join ISIS in Syria.
The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Unit are appealing for information by releasing the photos of the girls at Gatwick Airport.
They are thought to be Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and an unidentified 15-year-old.
The three girls were interviewed in December by detectives about the whereabouts of their friend who had traveled to Syria at the time.
Its the first time the Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) have made such an appeal.
- … Commander Richard Walton said: “We are extremely concerned for the safety of these young girls and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to police. Our priority is the safe return of these girls to their families.
- “We are reaching out to the girls using the Turkish media and social media in the hope that Shamima, Kadiza and their friend hear our messages, hear our concerns for their safety and have the courage to return now, back to their families who are so worried about them.”
- Counter-terrorism officers said the three girls left their homes before 8am last Tuesday providing their families with plausible reasons as to why they would be out for the day. One of the girls told her family she would be studying.
- Instead they met and travelled to Gatwick airport. They boarded a Turkish Airlines flight, TK1966, which departed at 12:40pm to Istanbul, Turkey and landed at 6:40pm local time.
Read more: Missing-schoolgirls-isis-syria>>>theguardian.com