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Brighton jihadi vows to fight to the death in Syria despite family pleas Brighton jihadi vows to fight to the death in Syria despite family pleas
(35 minutes later)
A British jihadi whose two brothers have been killed fighting in Syria has said he is ignoring pleas from his father to return home and will continue to battle pro-Bashar al-Assad forces “till death”.A British jihadi whose two brothers have been killed fighting in Syria has said he is ignoring pleas from his father to return home and will continue to battle pro-Bashar al-Assad forces “till death”.
Amer Deghayes, the last surviving member of a group of four jihadis from Brighton who secretly travelled to Syria this year to fight for al-Qaida-affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, told the Guardian: “I didn’t come here ... [for the] experience,” adding that he was praying for his “ending to be the best martyrdom in the front lines”. Amer Deghayes, 20, the last surviving member of a group of four jihadis from Brighton who secretly travelled to Syria this year to fight for al-Qaida-affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, told the Guardian: “I didn’t come here ... [for the] experience,” adding that he was praying for his “ending to be the best martyrdom in the front lines”.
Speaking a week after his youngest brother, Jaffar, 17, was killed storming a Syrian government checkpoint, Deghayes, 20, said: “I cant afford to leave jihad and the journey to jannah [paradise].” Speaking a week after his youngest brother, Jaffar, 17, was killed storming a Syrian government checkpoint, Deghayes said: “I cant afford to leave jihad and the journey to jannah [paradise].”
Jaffar is the youngest known Briton to have died during the gruesome three-year conflict. He is also the third of the ‘Brighton boys’ to have died this year.Jaffar is the youngest known Briton to have died during the gruesome three-year conflict. He is also the third of the ‘Brighton boys’ to have died this year.
In April, Abdullah Deghayes 18, was killed fighting alongside Amer in Latakia province. During that battle, Amer was shot in the stomach and spent months recuperating.In April, Abdullah Deghayes 18, was killed fighting alongside Amer in Latakia province. During that battle, Amer was shot in the stomach and spent months recuperating.
On 22 September a US missile strike on an al-Nusra base killed a Brighton friend of the three brothers, Ibrahim Kamara, 19, along with three east Londoners of Bangladeshi origin. The reported total of Britons killed in the conflict now stands at 25.On 22 September a US missile strike on an al-Nusra base killed a Brighton friend of the three brothers, Ibrahim Kamara, 19, along with three east Londoners of Bangladeshi origin. The reported total of Britons killed in the conflict now stands at 25.
All four of the Brighton jihadis had travelled from the UK and crossed into Syria via the Turkish border to take up arms unbeknown to their parents.All four of the Brighton jihadis had travelled from the UK and crossed into Syria via the Turkish border to take up arms unbeknown to their parents.
On Tuesday, the brothers’ father Abubaker Deghayes told reporters he was distraught following the death of his second son: “The grief I have for my two sons cannot be described. My words fail to describe it.” He called on the prime minister to change terrorism laws to make it easier for foreign fighters like his sons to return to the UK and be rehabilitated into society. On Tuesday, the brothers’ father Abubaker Deghayes told reporters he was distraught following the death of his second son: “The grief I have for my two sons cannot be described. My words fail to describe it.”
He called on the prime minister to change terrorism laws to make it easier for foreign fighters like his sons to return to the UK and be rehabilitated into society.
“They should be treated like a youngster who made a mistake. Not just put in prisons ... We do not want to lose more of our youngsters,” he said.“They should be treated like a youngster who made a mistake. Not just put in prisons ... We do not want to lose more of our youngsters,” he said.
But speaking from Syria via Facebook, Amer Deghayes said: “I don’t care much about going home ... even if the door was open.”But speaking from Syria via Facebook, Amer Deghayes said: “I don’t care much about going home ... even if the door was open.”
He said he missed his family, but the reminder of “past comforts” only increased his resolve to fight harder to defeat Assad and implement sharia law.He said he missed his family, but the reminder of “past comforts” only increased his resolve to fight harder to defeat Assad and implement sharia law.
Deghayes said this month that both he and his youngest brother volunteered for an operation that would take place behind Syrian government lines in the outskirts of Idlib, in Syria’s north-west.Deghayes said this month that both he and his youngest brother volunteered for an operation that would take place behind Syrian government lines in the outskirts of Idlib, in Syria’s north-west.
Deghayes, who has been fighting with al-Nusra since the start of the year, said he received 15 days of intense training before his unit launched the assault on three heavily armed government checkpoints equipped with tanks.Deghayes, who has been fighting with al-Nusra since the start of the year, said he received 15 days of intense training before his unit launched the assault on three heavily armed government checkpoints equipped with tanks.
Deghayes said he was placed into a separate squad from Jaffar before the operation so he did not witness the moment his brother was shot in the head and killed. Deghayes said he was placed into a separate squad from Jaffar before the operation so he did not see the moment his brother was shot in the head and killed.
On Monday, Syrian state television confirmed al-Nusra had infiltrated the strategically important city, capturing government buildings and opening up a new front in the ongoing civil war.On Monday, Syrian state television confirmed al-Nusra had infiltrated the strategically important city, capturing government buildings and opening up a new front in the ongoing civil war.
Deghayes said hundreds of regime soldiers were killed and a further 100 had been captured by the armed Islamist group.Deghayes said hundreds of regime soldiers were killed and a further 100 had been captured by the armed Islamist group.
Speaking about his conditions in Syria, Deghayes said food was plentiful but desperately bland. His clothes which he’d travelled with from Britain had not survived, and he was now wearing items left behind by his dead brother, Abdullah, along with combat trousers and an Afghan-style tunic. He spent most of his spare time praying, training and proselytising to the general population. He said that he had not recently come into contact with any other British fighters. Speaking about his conditions in Syria, he said food was plentiful but desperately bland. His clothes from Zara which he had travelled with from Britain had not survived the war zone and he was now wearing items left behind by his dead brother, Abdullah, along with combat trousers and an Afghan-style tunic. He spent most of his spare time praying, training and proselytising to the general population. He said that he had not recently come into contact with any other British fighters.
Deghayes described Jaffar as funny in private, but more often forthright and serious, with a propensity to be shy around strangers. “He was of the wisest amongst us,” he added. Speaking about a mooted alliance between Islamic State (Isis) and al-Nusra, Deghayes said they had not joined forces and that Isis needed to put aside the delusion that they were running an Islamic state and deal with extremists in their ranks. “[They] need to come back to reality that they are not a caliphate,” he said.
Posting a tribute on Facebook, sister Aiosha described her brother Jaffar as troubled teenager. As a kid, she said Jaffar had been diligent with school work. “The opposite of my other brothers who loved playing outside and would always plot to distract my parents and run away to the park.” Deghayes described his youngest brother as funny in private, but said Jaffar was more often forthright and serious, with a propensity to be shy around strangers. “He was of the wisest amongst us,” he added.
However during his early teens he battled with troublesome behaviour, turning to religion as a way of keeping off the streets. “From then on he did not miss a single day at college, he would spend his free time at the gym. Posting a tribute on Facebook, his sister Aîóshà Deghayes described her brother Jaffar as troubled teenager. As a kid, she said he had been diligent with school work. “The opposite of my other brothers who loved playing outside and would always plot to distract my parents and run away to the park.”
“He also started going to Arabic school ... I was so proud of him,” she wrote. However during his early teens he battled with troublesome behaviour, turning to religion as a way of keeping off the streets. “From then on he did not miss a single day at college, he would spend his free time at the gym.
Speaking about mooted alliance between Isis and al-Nusra, Deghayes said they had not joined forces and that Isis needed to put aside the delusion that they were running an Islamic state and deal with the extremists in their ranks. “He also started going to Arabic school ... I was so proud of him.”
“[They] need to come back to reality that they are not a caliphate,” he said.