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British Families Seek Medical Students Thought to Be in Syria British Families Seek Medical Students Thought to Be in Syria
(34 minutes later)
LONDON — Six medical students and three recent graduates are the latest Britons believed to have traveled to Syria to work in the territory controlled by Islamic State militants. LONDON — Six medical students and three recent graduates are the latest Britons believed to have traveled to Syria to work in the territory controlled by Islamic State militants.
The four women and five men, who were all born in Britain and had been studying medicine in Sudan, are thought to have entered Syria a week ago, according to reports Sunday in the British media. They are in their late teens and early 20s, and they apparently kept their travel plans hidden from their families until just before entering Syria when at least one of them sent a message to her sister, The Observer newspaper reported. The four women and five men, who were all born in Britain and had been studying medicine in Sudan, are thought to have entered Syria a week ago, according to reports Sunday in the British media.
They are in their late teens and early 20s, and they apparently kept their travel plans hidden from their families until just before entering Syria when at least one of them sent a message to her sister, The Observer newspaper reported.
Some of the medical students’ family members have traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to look for them. A Turkish opposition politician who met with the families told The Observer that he believed they were in Tel Abyad, a Syrian town under ISIS control.Some of the medical students’ family members have traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to look for them. A Turkish opposition politician who met with the families told The Observer that he believed they were in Tel Abyad, a Syrian town under ISIS control.
“They have been cheated, brainwashed,” the politician, Mehmet Ali Ediboglu, was quoted as saying. “That is what I, and their relatives, think.”“They have been cheated, brainwashed,” the politician, Mehmet Ali Ediboglu, was quoted as saying. “That is what I, and their relatives, think.”
The BBC reported that some of the medical students had sent messages to their parents to say they were working voluntarily to help Syrians.The BBC reported that some of the medical students had sent messages to their parents to say they were working voluntarily to help Syrians.
A British government spokesman said the students would not necessarily face charges if they returned to Britain, provided they could prove that they had not been fighting. He said Britain was providing consular assistance to their families. Some of the family members told the BBC that they could not understand how the group made it through the border to Syria. A British government spokesman said the students would not necessarily face charges if they returned to Britain, provided they could prove that they had not been fighting.
He said Britain was providing consular assistance to their families. Some of the family members told the BBC that they could not understand how the group made it through the border to Syria.
The British media identified the medical students as Lena Maumoon Abdulqadir, Nada Sami Kader, Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine, Tasneem Suleyman Huseyin, Ismail Hamadoun, Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah, Mohamed Osama Badri Mohammed, Hisham Mohammed Fadlallah and Sami Ahmed Kadir.The British media identified the medical students as Lena Maumoon Abdulqadir, Nada Sami Kader, Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine, Tasneem Suleyman Huseyin, Ismail Hamadoun, Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah, Mohamed Osama Badri Mohammed, Hisham Mohammed Fadlallah and Sami Ahmed Kadir.