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| Fathers of Bradford children feared missing in Syria 'worried sick' | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Relatives of three sisters and nine children feared to have travelled to Syria are said to be "distraught" after the group went missing following a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. | |
| Khadija Dawood, 30, Sugra Dawood, 34, and Zohra Dawood, 33, from Bradford, and their children, aged three to 15, have not made contact for a week. | |
| MP Naz Shah said the children's fathers were "worried out of their minds". | |
| Police say they are "extremely concerned" for their safety. | |
| Bradford West MP Ms Shah told the BBC she had spoken with two of the fathers. | |
| "I asked them if there was any indication and they said absolutely not - it was a shock to them, it came out of the blue," she said. | |
| "The men are very, very distraught. They are confused and did not know what was happening or why it was happening. | |
| 'Brother with extremists' | |
| "At this time there is no contact, absolutely zero contact with the women or children. The last contact was a few days ago when they were due to leave." | |
| The group were supposed to fly to Manchester following their pilgrimage but the fathers reported them missing when they did not return, Ms Shah said. | |
| The children are believed to have boarded a flight with their mothers from Medina in Saudi Arabia to Istanbul in Turkey - a commonly used route into Syria.- on 9 June | |
| Lawyer Balaal Khan, who is representing the husbands of the three sisters, confirmed concerns about them "travelling to Syria". | Lawyer Balaal Khan, who is representing the husbands of the three sisters, confirmed concerns about them "travelling to Syria". |
| West Yorkshire Police is investigating and detectives said they were gravely concerned. | West Yorkshire Police is investigating and detectives said they were gravely concerned. |
| There has been no contact since last Tuesday, 9 June, from mother-of-two Khadija Dawood, 30, mother-of-five Sugra Dawood, 34, and mother-of-two Zohra Dawood, 33, after they left Medina in Saudi Arabia. | There has been no contact since last Tuesday, 9 June, from mother-of-two Khadija Dawood, 30, mother-of-five Sugra Dawood, 34, and mother-of-two Zohra Dawood, 33, after they left Medina in Saudi Arabia. |
| Their mobile phones have not been active and their social media profiles have not been updated since then. | Their mobile phones have not been active and their social media profiles have not been updated since then. |
| According to the solicitors, it is thought the group travelled to Syria where a brother of the three sisters is understood to be fighting with extremists. It is feared they have met up with him. | According to the solicitors, it is thought the group travelled to Syria where a brother of the three sisters is understood to be fighting with extremists. It is feared they have met up with him. |
| The family travelled to Medina on 28 May. It is thought 10 of them boarded the later flight to Istanbul, but no details have been found indicating that five-year-old Nurah Zubair and her sister Haafiyah Zubair, eight, boarded the same flight. | The family travelled to Medina on 28 May. It is thought 10 of them boarded the later flight to Istanbul, but no details have been found indicating that five-year-old Nurah Zubair and her sister Haafiyah Zubair, eight, boarded the same flight. |
| Missing children | Missing children |
| In a statement released by their solicitors, the Dawood family said they were "extremely worried" and felt helpless. | In a statement released by their solicitors, the Dawood family said they were "extremely worried" and felt helpless. |
| Mr Khan, acting for the fathers of the missing children, said: "One of the possibilities is they travelled to Turkey to travel to Syria. | Mr Khan, acting for the fathers of the missing children, said: "One of the possibilities is they travelled to Turkey to travel to Syria. |
| "The suspicion, and main concern, is that the women have taken their children to Syria." | "The suspicion, and main concern, is that the women have taken their children to Syria." |
| 'Children's lives in danger' | |
| He said the fathers were "concerned that their children's lives are in danger". | He said the fathers were "concerned that their children's lives are in danger". |
| "[They] are distraught, they feel helpless and they don't know what to do. They want the children out of harm's way." | "[They] are distraught, they feel helpless and they don't know what to do. They want the children out of harm's way." |
| Police were notified last week but were limited in what they could do because it was out of their jurisdiction, he added. | Police were notified last week but were limited in what they could do because it was out of their jurisdiction, he added. |
| West Yorkshire Police has contacted the Turkish authorities; however, there have been no sightings or contacts made in Turkey. | West Yorkshire Police has contacted the Turkish authorities; however, there have been no sightings or contacts made in Turkey. |
| The force said it was supporting the family and working "extensively with authorities overseas to try and locate them". | The force said it was supporting the family and working "extensively with authorities overseas to try and locate them". |
| A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in contact with West Yorkshire Police and Turkish authorities and are ready to provide consular assistance." | A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in contact with West Yorkshire Police and Turkish authorities and are ready to provide consular assistance." |
| It was also reported on Monday that a teenager from another Yorkshire town had fled to Syria to join Islamic State. | |
| Talha Asmal, 17, is thought to be the youngest UK-born suicide bomber after his death was initially reported on social media. |