ERIK DE CASTRO /REUTERS
Jihadists on the run in Turkey
It has been confirmed that when the Isis-held cities of Raqqa and Mosul were retaken this year, thousands of jihadists fled to Turkey. There are at least 300 Britons among them.
According to The Times, this has prompted fears from western intelligence agencies of an increased risk of terror attacks in Europe.
Ciwan Xhalil, a Syrian-Kurdish intelligence officer who is in charge of dealing with western intelligence agencies over the fate of foreign fighters, said he thought that most Britons had fled Syria.
“The exodus began after Mosul [in Iraq] fell and continued after [Isis] lost Raqqa. We have lots of French in our jails and scores of other nationals but we think most of the British have escaped,” he added.
The good news is that it has become increasingly difficult to leave Turkey and return to Britain without being flagged, British security sources have said.
Returning jihadists get stopped and questioned by MI5 and police and will be prosecuted if there is evidence that they fought for the caliphate.
The authorities also deploy covert techniques to track down extremists. American intelligence sources said that the CIA and MI6 were co-ordinating to track a cadre of foreign Isis fighters.
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