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| Dewsbury in 'utter shock' over Talha Asmal's death in Iraq suicide bombing | Dewsbury in 'utter shock' over Talha Asmal's death in Iraq suicide bombing |
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| Community leaders have been left shocked by the death of a teenager believed to have become Britain’s youngest suicide bomber after being “groomed” by Islamic State. | Community leaders have been left shocked by the death of a teenager believed to have become Britain’s youngest suicide bomber after being “groomed” by Islamic State. |
| Talha Asmal, 17, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, who reportedly detonated a vehicle fitted with explosives while fighting for the militant group in Iraq, was described as “a loving, kind, caring and affable teenager” by his devastated family. | Talha Asmal, 17, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, who reportedly detonated a vehicle fitted with explosives while fighting for the militant group in Iraq, was described as “a loving, kind, caring and affable teenager” by his devastated family. |
| Despite his death not being officially confirmed, his family said images released through an Isis-linked Twitter account showing a young man named as Abu Yusuf al-Britani appear to depict their son. | Despite his death not being officially confirmed, his family said images released through an Isis-linked Twitter account showing a young man named as Abu Yusuf al-Britani appear to depict their son. |
| Qari Asim, an imam at the Makkah Masjid mosque who was awarded an MBE for his efforts to build bridges between communities in Leeds since the 7 July 2005 terror attacks, said Isis leaders were acting “like paedophiles” by grooming young men. | Qari Asim, an imam at the Makkah Masjid mosque who was awarded an MBE for his efforts to build bridges between communities in Leeds since the 7 July 2005 terror attacks, said Isis leaders were acting “like paedophiles” by grooming young men. |
| “The community is in utter shock and a sense of disbelief that a young lad from Yorkshire is said to [have] become Britain’s youngest suicide bomber,” he said. “Isis is running a sophisticated social media campaign and the community is concerned their faith is being used by hate preachers and internet groomers to manipulate their religion.” | “The community is in utter shock and a sense of disbelief that a young lad from Yorkshire is said to [have] become Britain’s youngest suicide bomber,” he said. “Isis is running a sophisticated social media campaign and the community is concerned their faith is being used by hate preachers and internet groomers to manipulate their religion.” |
| Farooq Yunus, from the Zakaria mosque in Savile Town, Dewsbury, said the whole system had failed the boys. “I think we have failed. Not just the people in here … the council, the police, the community,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. | Farooq Yunus, from the Zakaria mosque in Savile Town, Dewsbury, said the whole system had failed the boys. “I think we have failed. Not just the people in here … the council, the police, the community,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. |
| Pictures released by Isis online show Talha smiling as he stands by a black Toyota SUV giving the militant group’s signature one-finger salute. | |
| Another shows the teenager clutching a rifle as he sits cross-legged on a mat alongside two other armed men, apparently taking instruction from a uniformed militant in a crudely furnished operations room. | |
| Lorraine Barker, executive principal of Mirfield Free Grammar and Sixth Form, where Talha was studying, told the Times he was very quiet and private and a “typical teenager”. “He didn’t draw any attention to himself, he was just a conscientious student,” she said. | |
| The 17-year-old lived at the family’s terraced home with his mother Noorjaha, 38, and father Ebrahim, 42, before he left for Syria via Turkey in April on a Thomas Cook flight with his next-door neighbour and best friend Hassan Munshi, the brother of Britain’s youngest convicted terrorist Hammad Munshi. | |
| In a damning statement, Talha’s family lashed out at Isis for preying on his “innocence and vulnerability”. | |
| They said: “He never harboured any ill will against anybody nor did he ever exhibit any violent, extreme or radical views of any kind. Talha’s tender years and naivety were, it seems however, exploited by persons unknown, who, hiding behind the anonymity of the worldwide web, targeted and befriended Talha and engaged in a process of deliberate and calculated grooming of him. | |
| “Whilst there, it appears that Talha fell under the spell of individuals who continued to prey on his innocence and vulnerability to the point where, if the press reports are accurate, he was ordered to his death by so-called Isis handlers and leaders too cowardly to do their own dirty work. | “Whilst there, it appears that Talha fell under the spell of individuals who continued to prey on his innocence and vulnerability to the point where, if the press reports are accurate, he was ordered to his death by so-called Isis handlers and leaders too cowardly to do their own dirty work. |
| “We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us.” The family said that Isis did not represent Islam or Muslims “in any way, shape or form”. | “We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us.” The family said that Isis did not represent Islam or Muslims “in any way, shape or form”. |
| Isis statements on Saturday named Britani – the 17-year-old’s nom de guerre – as one of four suicide bombers. The others were said to be a German, a Kuwaiti and a Palestinian. All four were photographed by Isis standing beside SUVs. | |
| The suicide attacks are understood to have occurred in Salahuddin province, near one of Iraq’s largest oil refineries, as part of a larger military offensive by the militant group. | |
| Shahid Malik, a former government minister and a friend of the Asmals, described them as “a beautiful, caring, peace-loving and incredibly humble family”. | Shahid Malik, a former government minister and a friend of the Asmals, described them as “a beautiful, caring, peace-loving and incredibly humble family”. |
| The former MP for Dewsbury said: “The local community grieves with them today, Ebrahim and the family’s world has been shattered in the cruellest of ways and one which no family should ever have to experience. | |
| “Talha was a truly sweet-natured, helpful, respectful and friendly kid, and it is incredibly difficult to reconcile this Talha with the suicide bomber at an Iraqi oil installation.” | “Talha was a truly sweet-natured, helpful, respectful and friendly kid, and it is incredibly difficult to reconcile this Talha with the suicide bomber at an Iraqi oil installation.” |
| Charlie Winter, a researcher at counter-extremism thinktank the Quilliam Foundation, said the short amount of time the teenager spent in Syria before he died was an unusual feature of the case. “He was reported to have left the UK in March, now we’re in June and we’re told he has blown himself up – that’s a quick turn around. He was chosen soon after he arrived,” said Winter. | |
| Isis would have deliberately selected a young British person to act as a suicide bomber as it is more provocative and likely to generate publicity, Winter continued. | |
| “They have used young people and children on suicide operations for a while now. The youngest I’m aware of is 14. Displaying Talha’s face without a mask, making clear who he is, saying that he was British, they would have calculated this would have caused a media storm.” |