Intelligence chiefs stop 600 Britons joining warped Islamic State terrorists in Syria
INTELLIGENCE officials have caught 600 Britons trying to enter Syria in a bid to join warped terror groups since 2012, the Foreign Secretary has revealed.
600 UK citizens have been caught attempting to join the so-called caliphate
But roughly 800 more have managed to make the journey to join Islamic State, also known as Daesh, or al-Qaeda, Philip Hammond admitted yesterday.
It is believed half of those who managed to make it into the war-torn country to join ISIS' so-called caliphate are still there.
Speaking during a trip to southern Turkey on Friday, Hammond said: “Approximately 800 Brits have been to Syria, of whom half are still there
“But on top of that 800, we have stopped another 600.”
Defence secretary Hammond praised the work of united Turkish and British security forces
He added that the number of UK citizens stopped trying to make it to Syria had increased thanks to improved co-operation between Turkish and British security forces over the last eight months.
The growing number of people stopped before they can join the vile fanatics is thought to be putting strain on ISIS – along with a united international bombing campaign.
Hammond revealed the shocking figures while visiting southern Turkey
Hammond said: “Generally they are very stretched now – their manpower on the ground in relation to the territory they’re holding is very thin.
“There is evidence [ISIS] is finding it difficult to recruit to the brigades in Raqqa because of the high attrition rate of foreign fighters.
“Not just those targeted in UK drone strikes, but US strikes against prominent targets including foreign fighters.”
The Turkish border is a key route for would-be Jihadis attempting to join ISIS terror scum in Syria
It comes as more information surfaces about the surge of would be British terrorists who have joined the twisted group.
Jihadis are said to refer to Manbij, a town just half an hours drive away from the Turkish border, as "little London" due to its huge British population.
Meanwhile a recent desperate propaganda video featured Siddhartha Dhar, also known as 'Jihadi Sid' – a suspected British terrorist with a London accent.