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British teenager killed in Syria British teenager killed in Syria
(about 3 hours later)
Police are investigating reports that an 18-year-old Briton from East Sussex has been killed in Syria. The father of an 18-year-old from Brighton killed in Syria has described him as a martyr but says he tried hard to stop him from travelling to join the fighting.
Abdullah Deghayes from Saltdean, near Brighton, told his family that he was travelling to Libya in January but did not tell them he was going to Syria. Abubakr Deghayes, whose son Abdullah died earlier this month, said he had flown to Turkey to try to prevent his son joining his two brothers in Syria. Jafer, 16, and Amer, 20, were already fighting in Syria, and Amer was shot in the stomach in the battle in which Abdullah was killed.
Deghayes, whose uncle, Omar, is a former Guantánamo detainee, is believed to have died earlier this month. Speaking outside his home in Saltdean about Abdullah, Deghayes said: "As far as I know he went to Syria, without my consent and without the consent of his mother, to fight against the dictator Bashar Al-Assad and his regime. He was killed in a battle with soldiers. His brother Amer, who was also there, I know is injured. He was shot in the stomach in the same battle.
A photo circulating among former school friends, which appears to show Abdullah dead and laid out on the ground, has been seen by the Guardian. The photo, which seems to have been taken at night with a flash, shows him from the chest up lying on a patch of ground scattered with leaves and foliage. The 18-year-old is dressed in combat fatigues and his eyes are closed, but he can be clearly identified. There is no obvious sign of injury. "I never encouraged my sons to go but I believe there was a cause that they strongly believed in which drove them to go. We are very sad for the loss of Abdullah but I can at least take some comfort from the fact that he went for a just cause to protect those that are killed or dying and need help."
His father, Abubaker Deghayes, said he learned of Abdullah's death via Facebook on Monday. "At the moment we do not have details of his death. All that we know is that he was killed in Syria. The family is mourning." A photo circulating among former school friends, which appears to show Abdullah dead and laid out on the ground, has been seen by the Guardian. The photo, which seems to have been taken at night with a flash, shows him from the chest up lying on a patch of ground scattered with leaves and foliage. The 18-year-old is dressed in combat fatigues and his eyes are closed, but he can be clearly identified. There is no obvious sign of injury.
Speaking at his home in Saltdean, he said he believed his son had travelled to Libya to see family. Deghayes said that Amer first travelled to Syria to deliver aid but then decided to fight, and his two brothers followed the same path. He insisted that his sons were motivated by humanitarian concerns and had no involvement with radical groups in the UK. He said he learned of Abdullah's death via Facebook on Monday.
"We are all in mourning. I'm trying to find out what's happened. At the moment we don't have any details. We found out on Facebook. I hope he died for a noble cause, trying to help Syria. I need to find out. I might go and travel to see," he said. "He was a youngster who didn't communicate a lot. With parents, once they grow, they don't tell you much about their lives." "I think that Abdullah and his brothers are not terrorists because terrorism is the targeting and killing of civilians for any particular reason. I believe he wanted to defend those in threat and those in need of protection or support," said Deghayes.
Deghayes said his son, who was due to go to university in Brighton next year, lived in the seaside city with his mother and had left the UK in January. The teenager is the nephew of Omar Deghayes, who was held by the United States as an enemy combatant at Guantánamo Bay between 2002 and 2007 after he was arrested in Pakistan.
The teenager is the nephew of Omar Deghayes, who was held by the United States as an enemy combatant at Guantánamo Bay between 2002 and 2007 after he was arrested in Pakistan. Speaking from Tripoli, Omar Degahyes said Abdullah was a young man full of life. "He had a bright future ahead, he was just like any 18-year-old, but his heart was different. He couldn't sit still watching the news of the gross injustice taking place in Syria. He felt he needed to do more. He packed and flew without consulting the family.
Omar Deghayes, who is currently in Tripoli, said he knew very little of the circumstances of his nephew's death. "He ran away from his home … we didn't know at first," he said. "Abdullah's twin brother Abdur-Rahman received it the hardest, he has been crying so much ... and it's not like him to isolate himself and cry. Abdullah paid with his life, he had everything a young man could want in life, but he cared. Our hearts will ache for him forever."
He added that he had only heard one witness account of what happened to Abdullah. Pictures of Abdullah on Facebook show a typical British teenager hanging out with male and female friends, some drinking beer. In one photograph from last year he posed with what appears to be a girlfriend in the street. He worked in an Adidas shop in Brighton selling sportswear.
Abdullah's close friend Louise Tierney, 17, said: "We were in a really tight group of friends together and we all went for a carvery a while back as we knew he was going away. We thought it was to Libya where he often went to see friends, like a little holiday. He never mentioned Syria before – never. He was a lovely guy and he'd do anything for anyone.
"He was like a big brother in the group. He was so caring and looked out for each of us."
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national and are urgently looking into it."A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national and are urgently looking into it."
Police were informed of his death at the start of this week and are supporting his family. A spokesman for Sussex police said: "On Monday 14 April we received information that an 18-year-old Brighton man had been killed in Syria in recent weeks. Police were informed of his death at the start of this week and are supporting his family. A spokesman for Sussex police said: "On Monday 14 April we received information that an 18-year-old Brighton man had been killed in Syria in recent weeks.
"The circumstances of this reported death remain unclear and we are in contact with the family.""The circumstances of this reported death remain unclear and we are in contact with the family."
Tributes to the teenager have been posted on social media sites. One man, Nezar El-bayouk posted on Twitter: "R.I.P. To My Boy Abdullah Deghayes. Jannah InshAllah!" Peter Neumann of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at Kings College, London, said that Deghayes did not appear to be a typical British fighter in Syria because he spoke Arabic and had roots in the Middle East and north Africa. "Most British fighters are from south Asia and do not speak Arabic so are restricted to certain groups. There are around 600 Libyans fighting in Syria which per capita makes them one of the largest groups. Many of them trained to fight Gadhaffi and then went collectively to Syria."
Another friend Miss'Newland, posted: "R.I.P this is such a shock, can not get my head around it. Everyone's gonna miss you Abdullah Deghayes. much love xxx." He said one group, Liwat al Taweed, was formed by Libyans and contained many Libyans. Although it was part of the Islamic Front, its members were less extreme than groups such as the Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Pictures of Abdullah on Facebook show a typical British teenager hanging out with male and female friends, some drinking beer. In one photograph from last year he posed with a girlfriend in the street. He worked in an Adidas shop in Brighton selling sportswear.