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Missing Bradford family: Fathers 'distraught' over fears children are in Syria | Missing Bradford family: Fathers 'distraught' over fears children are in Syria |
(35 minutes later) | |
The husbands 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. | The husbands 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, Sugra and Zohra Dawood, from Bradford, and their children aged three to 15 have not made contact for a week. | |
Their brother is understood to be fighting with extremists in Syria. | Their brother is understood to be fighting with extremists in Syria. |
The fathers' lawyer said the children said "we can't wait to come home" in a conversation before they went missing. | |
Balaal Khan said: "We've had no answers whatsoever, we don't know what's happened." | |
The fathers - two of whom are in the UK and one in Pakistan - have been "distraught, crying, they don't know what to do", said Mr Khan, who said it was suspected the women had taken their children to Syria. | |
The fathers last spoke to their children on 8 June, when they were in the Saudi city of Medina, he said, adding: "They said 'We love you, we're missing you, we can't wait to come home.'" | |
International hunt | |
Police say they are "extremely concerned" for the family's safety and enquiries were continuing on a "national and international level". | |
This latest case follows the deaths of Dewsbury teenager Talha Asmal, who reportedly blew himself up in Iraq becoming the UK's youngest suicide bomber, and Muslim convert Thomas Evans, 25, from Buckinghamshire, who was among al-Shabab fighters killed in an attack on a Kenyan military base. | This latest case follows the deaths of Dewsbury teenager Talha Asmal, who reportedly blew himself up in Iraq becoming the UK's youngest suicide bomber, and Muslim convert Thomas Evans, 25, from Buckinghamshire, who was among al-Shabab fighters killed in an attack on a Kenyan military base. |
The Bradford family travelled to Medina on 28 May. | |
It is thought 10 of them later boarded a flight to Istanbul, but no details have been found indicating that two of the children - five-year-old Nurah Zubair and her sister Haafiyah Zubair, eight - boarded the same flight. | It is thought 10 of them later boarded a flight to Istanbul, but no details have been found indicating that two of the children - five-year-old Nurah Zubair and her sister Haafiyah Zubair, eight - boarded the same flight. |
Bradford West MP Naz Shah told the BBC she had spoken to two of the fathers and they were "worried out of their minds". | |
"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... | |
"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." | "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. | |
Some of the children are believed to have boarded a flight with their mothers from Medina to Istanbul in Turkey - a commonly used route into Syria - on 9 June. | Some of the children are believed to have boarded a flight with their mothers from Medina to Istanbul in Turkey - a commonly used route into Syria - on 9 June. |
There has been no contact with the sisters since then. Their mobile phones have not been active, nor have their social media profiles been updated. | There has been no contact with the sisters since then. Their mobile phones have not been active, nor have their social media profiles been updated. |
Missing children | Missing children |
Missing mothers | |
West Yorkshire Police have contacted the Turkish authorities; however, there have been no sightings or contacts made in Turkey. | West Yorkshire Police have contacted the Turkish authorities; however, there have been no sightings or contacts made in Turkey. |
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." |
Timeline of the disappearance | |
Baroness Warsi, a former Conservative minister for faith and communities, said successive governments had failed to engage with Muslims to tackle extremist ideas. | Baroness Warsi, a former Conservative minister for faith and communities, said successive governments had failed to engage with Muslims to tackle extremist ideas. |
The government must uncover the "drivers for radicalisation" if it is to take on this "generational challenge", she said. | The government must uncover the "drivers for radicalisation" if it is to take on this "generational challenge", she said. |
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 |