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Syria girls: CCTV shows UK teenagers at Istanbul bus station | Syria girls: CCTV shows UK teenagers at Istanbul bus station |
(about 5 hours later) | |
New CCTV pictures appear to show three UK schoolgirls on the Turkish leg of what is believed to have been their journey to join Islamic State in Syria. | New CCTV pictures appear to show three UK schoolgirls on the Turkish leg of what is believed to have been their journey to join Islamic State in Syria. |
Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, flew from London to Istanbul on 17 February. | Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, flew from London to Istanbul on 17 February. |
The images show them waiting at Bayrampasa bus station later that day. | The images show them waiting at Bayrampasa bus station later that day. |
Scotland Yard believes the Bethnal Green Academy students are now in Syria. They are thought to have been met at the border by IS militants. | Scotland Yard believes the Bethnal Green Academy students are now in Syria. They are thought to have been met at the border by IS militants. |
The BBC understands the girls waited in the offices of two bus companies at the station before taking a bus to Urfa, close to the Syrian border, on 18 February. | The BBC understands the girls waited in the offices of two bus companies at the station before taking a bus to Urfa, close to the Syrian border, on 18 February. |
From there, they are thought to have been driven to a border crossing point by people-smugglers. | |
Time codes on the CCTV images suggest the girls were at the bus station - which is on the European side of Istanbul - for nearly 18 hours. | Time codes on the CCTV images suggest the girls were at the bus station - which is on the European side of Istanbul - for nearly 18 hours. |
The five images were taken between 20:27 local time (18:27 GMT) on 17 February and 13:22 (11:22 GMT) on 18 February. | The five images were taken between 20:27 local time (18:27 GMT) on 17 February and 13:22 (11:22 GMT) on 18 February. |
BBC correspondent James Reynolds in Gaziantep, south-east Turkey, has been told by a man claiming to be a people-smuggler that the girls were driven to the Syrian border. | |
The man, who called himself Ali Kathem, said the teenagers then walked the few steps into Syria. | The man, who called himself Ali Kathem, said the teenagers then walked the few steps into Syria. |
A group of waiting IS men "immediately picked them up with cars", he said. | A group of waiting IS men "immediately picked them up with cars", he said. |
They had flown from London's Gatwick Airport to Turkey after telling their parents they were going out for the day. | They had flown from London's Gatwick Airport to Turkey after telling their parents they were going out for the day. |
The girls' families have made a number of emotional appeals for them to return home. | The girls' families have made a number of emotional appeals for them to return home. |
Police have revealed about 60 women and girls are now thought to have travelled from the UK to Syria - including about 22 in the last year. | Police have revealed about 60 women and girls are now thought to have travelled from the UK to Syria - including about 22 in the last year. |
"When I say young, all but four of those 22 were aged 20 or younger," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, the UK's senior national co-ordinator of counter-terrorism, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. | "When I say young, all but four of those 22 were aged 20 or younger," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, the UK's senior national co-ordinator of counter-terrorism, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. |
"The last five who have travelled were aged 15 and 16, so this is a growing problem and it is one of real concern. | "The last five who have travelled were aged 15 and 16, so this is a growing problem and it is one of real concern. |
"The more everyone involved in travel understands this problem and can be alerted and can be vigilant and can look out for people, the better," she added. | "The more everyone involved in travel understands this problem and can be alerted and can be vigilant and can look out for people, the better," she added. |
The Syrian civil war has had a "galvanising" effect on people becoming radicalised, she said. | The Syrian civil war has had a "galvanising" effect on people becoming radicalised, she said. |
'Younger and younger' | 'Younger and younger' |
Kalsoom Bashir, co-director of the counter-extremism organisation Inspire, said it was "shocking but not surprising" that young girls were being lured to Syria. | Kalsoom Bashir, co-director of the counter-extremism organisation Inspire, said it was "shocking but not surprising" that young girls were being lured to Syria. |
She said IS had a "very specific campaign" to target young and vulnerable women, saying here was a growing tend of women who were getting "younger and younger". | She said IS had a "very specific campaign" to target young and vulnerable women, saying here was a growing tend of women who were getting "younger and younger". |
Their campaign targets young women by "hooking into their vulnerabilities," she told the programme. | Their campaign targets young women by "hooking into their vulnerabilities," she told the programme. |
Girls such Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana were victims of "ideological grooming" by IS, she added. | Girls such Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana were victims of "ideological grooming" by IS, she added. |
Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc has said officials would have taken "necessary measures" to intercept the girls had they known about them earlier. | |
Scotland Yard has denied taking three days to inform officials in Turkey about the girls' planned journey. | Scotland Yard has denied taking three days to inform officials in Turkey about the girls' planned journey. |
It said it had started working with Turkish authorities a day after the girls went missing. | It said it had started working with Turkish authorities a day after the girls went missing. |
They had been studying for their GCSEs. A fourth girl from the school is believed to have travelled to Syria in December. | They had been studying for their GCSEs. A fourth girl from the school is believed to have travelled to Syria in December. |
The school has denied the girls could have been radicalised there. | The school has denied the girls could have been radicalised there. |