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Dewsbury 'in shock over UK's youngest suicide bomber' | Dewsbury 'in shock over UK's youngest suicide bomber' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Community leaders in the home town of a West Yorkshire teenager who reportedly carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq have spoken of their shock. | Community leaders in the home town of a West Yorkshire teenager who reportedly carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq have spoken of their shock. |
Talha Asmal's family say he was groomed online, and Downing Street described the case as "deeply concerning". | |
Dewsbury councillor Masood Ahmed said there had not been any signs that the 17-year-old had been radicalised. | |
Asmal is believed to have become Britain's youngest suicide bomber, in an oil refinery attack south of Baiji. | Asmal is believed to have become Britain's youngest suicide bomber, in an oil refinery attack south of Baiji. |
David Cameron's official spokeswoman said the government wanted to work with social media companies to stop young people being targeted online. | |
At least 11 people were killed in the car bombings carried out by four suicide bombers near the city north of Baghdad on Saturday. | At least 11 people were killed in the car bombings carried out by four suicide bombers near the city north of Baghdad on Saturday. |
Social media reports linked to militant group Islamic State (IS) said Asmal, going by the name of Abu Yusuf al-Britani, was among the attackers. | Social media reports linked to militant group Islamic State (IS) said Asmal, going by the name of Abu Yusuf al-Britani, was among the attackers. |
Confirmation would make Asmal Britain's youngest known suicide bomber. | |
Another West Yorkshire teenager, Hasib Hussein, was 18 when he blew himself up on a London bus in the 7 July 2005 attacks. | |
Tracking Britain's jihadists | Tracking Britain's jihadists |
The stories of those who have died, been convicted of offences relating to the Islamic State conflict or are still in Syria or Iraq | The stories of those who have died, been convicted of offences relating to the Islamic State conflict or are still in Syria or Iraq |
Mr Ahmed, a Labour member of Kirklees Council, said there had been "no signs, no symptoms" that Asmal had been groomed by extremists online - as his family now believe he was. | |
Lorraine Barker, executive principal of Mirfield Free Grammar and Sixth Form, where Asmal was studying, told the Times he was a "conscientious student". | |
Staff and students had been in "complete shock" when he travelled to Syria with fellow Dewsbury teenager Hassan Munshi in March, she said. | |
In a statement issued on Sunday, his family said he had been a "loving, kind, caring and affable teenager". | |
"He never harboured any ill will against anybody nor did he ever exhibit any violent, extreme or radical views of any kind," they said. | "He never harboured any ill will against anybody nor did he ever exhibit any violent, extreme or radical views of any kind," they said. |
"Talha's tender years and naivety were, it seems... exploited by persons unknown who, hiding behind the anonymity of the world wide web... engaged in a process of deliberate and calculated grooming of him." | "Talha's tender years and naivety were, it seems... exploited by persons unknown who, hiding behind the anonymity of the world wide web... engaged in a process of deliberate and calculated grooming of him." |
They added: "We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us." | They added: "We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us." |
BBC News correspondent Danny Savage says the suggestion is that Asmal may have been influenced by the teenager he travelled with to Syria, Hassan Munshi, whose brother was himself jailed in the UK for terrorism offences. | |
But he adds that community leaders in Dewsbury are sceptical about the claim that someone in the UK was responsible for pushing Asmal in the direction of Islamic State. | But he adds that community leaders in Dewsbury are sceptical about the claim that someone in the UK was responsible for pushing Asmal in the direction of Islamic State. |
Analysis | Analysis |
By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent | By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent |
Talha Asmal's family say he was groomed. That makes him, in their eyes, a teenage victim, rather than a criminal or terrorist. | Talha Asmal's family say he was groomed. That makes him, in their eyes, a teenage victim, rather than a criminal or terrorist. |
Ten years ago, the UK had the same debate about suicide bombers from Yorkshire who killed 52 people in London in the 7/7 attacks. | |
Today, the UK's police and security agencies have a wide range of powers and techniques to disrupt would-be terrorists. | Today, the UK's police and security agencies have a wide range of powers and techniques to disrupt would-be terrorists. |
But the police can't arrest everyone - and evidence shows it is difficult to bring someone back from the edge, once they are radicalised. | But the police can't arrest everyone - and evidence shows it is difficult to bring someone back from the edge, once they are radicalised. |
In two weeks' time, public bodies, including schools, will be under a controversial but groundbreaking new legal duty to prevent people being drawn towards terrorism. | |
Critically, it is directly linked to other legal duties of "safeguarding" the young from harm. | |
So this really thorny question of "prevention rather than cure" is where the debate is now shifting. | So this really thorny question of "prevention rather than cure" is where the debate is now shifting. |
Shahid Malik, former MP for Dewsbury and a family friend of the Asmals, said it was "disturbing" to see how relaxed Talha looked in the IS photographs allegedly taken prior to his suicide mission. | Shahid Malik, former MP for Dewsbury and a family friend of the Asmals, said it was "disturbing" to see how relaxed Talha looked in the IS photographs allegedly taken prior to his suicide mission. |
"He looks at peace... This is a clear indication of just how successful the evil Isis groomers have been in poisoning and brainwashing Talha and kids like him," he said. | "He looks at peace... This is a clear indication of just how successful the evil Isis groomers have been in poisoning and brainwashing Talha and kids like him," he said. |
He added: "Mosques need to confront this evil ideology head-on... I would say that up and down the country that is not happening at the moment." | |
'Work together' | 'Work together' |
The case also prompted criticism of the government's counter-terrorism strategy. | The case also prompted criticism of the government's counter-terrorism strategy. |
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper urged a "stronger plan" for community-led action. | |
But Lord Carlile, a former independent reviewer of terrorism laws, said she was wrong to make it a party political issue. | But Lord Carlile, a former independent reviewer of terrorism laws, said she was wrong to make it a party political issue. |
All governments "face the same problems and should be working together on a non-partisan basis to produce solutions", he told BBC Radio 4 Today. | All governments "face the same problems and should be working together on a non-partisan basis to produce solutions", he told BBC Radio 4 Today. |
At least 700 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organisations in Iraq and Syria, with the majority joining IS. | |
The Home Office said since 2011 it had trained more than 160,000 people to identify and prevent extremism; excluded nearly 100 "hate preachers" and taken down more than 90,000 pieces of terrorist-related material from the internet. | |
It had also removed or refused 30 passports in 2013 and 2014 where people were considered to be at risk of travelling to Syria or Iraq. | |
Britons taking terror overseas | Britons taking terror overseas |