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Fears British medics crossed into Syria Nine British medics feared to have crossed into Syria
(about 1 hour later)
At least nine British medical students and doctors are feared to have travelled to Syria to work in areas controlled by Islamic State (IS). Nine British medical students and doctors are feared to have travelled to Syria to work in areas controlled by Islamic State militants.
The group - all in their late teens or early twenties - had been studying in Sudan. The group, all in their late teens or early 20s, had been studying medicine in Sudan.
Some of their relatives, who have travelled to the Turkish Syrian border, told the BBC they are gravely concerned about their welfare. Some of their relatives, who have travelled to the Turkish-Syrian border, told the BBC they were gravely concerned about their welfare.
They are believed to have travelled to Syria more than a week ago. The medics are believed to have entered Syria more than a week ago.
BBC Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen said some in the group had sent messages to their parents to say they were doing voluntary work to help Syrians. BBC Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen said some in the group had sent messages to their parents saying they were doing voluntary work to help Syrians.
One of the fathers, who lives in Britain, said he hoped his daughter and her colleagues were in Turkey as their mobile phone signals had been picked up on the Turkish side of the border. Our correspondent, who described the group as British-Sudanese, said their families had travelled to Gaziantep, southern Turkey, to try to find them.
But a local MP following the case said they would have been found had they still been in Turkey, especially if they were trying to work in any medical facility. One of the fathers said he was not getting enough support from British and Turkish authorities and did not understand how Turkey allowed such a large group to cross the border.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance to their families and we have informed the Turkish police to try and ascertain their whereabouts."
AnalysisAnalysis
BBC Turkey correspondent Mark LowenBBC Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen
The families are in a terrible state, frightened about their children and frustrated at the lack of information from the Turkish authorities. The agonising wait goes on for the British-Sudanese families hoping for news of their children.
The father told me the students were not particularly conservative and their desire to become involved with Syrians came as a shock. The father of one of the missing medics has told me he no longer holds out hope that they are still in Turkey and is convinced they've already crossed into an area of Syria controlled by so-called Islamic State.
The families' greatest fear is that their children have been recruited by extremists at their university in Khartoum and lured towards IS-held territory. The group is 13-strong, mainly British-Sudanese and were studying at a faculty in Khartoum, where the fear is they may have been radicalised and recruited by IS.
But as they wait for more information here on the border, they are maintaining hope.
Battle for Iraq and Syria in mapsBattle for Iraq and Syria in maps
Special Report: Islamic State ConflictSpecial Report: Islamic State Conflict
The nine Britons are understood to have been joined by two Sudanese medics, one who is American-Sudanese and one Canadian-Sudanese.
The Observer newspaper reported that the students' parents believed they were in Tel Abyad and wanted to work with IS, but they were almost certain they did not plan to take up arms.The Observer newspaper reported that the students' parents believed they were in Tel Abyad and wanted to work with IS, but they were almost certain they did not plan to take up arms.
The medics are said to have been born and grown up in England but were sent to Sudan to study at a medical school and experience "a more Islamic culture". The medics are said to have been born in England but were sent to Sudan to study and experience "a more Islamic culture".
A Home Office source told the paper the medics would not automatically face prosecution under anti-terror laws if they returned to the UK so long as they could prove they had not been fighting. A Home Office source told the paper the medics would not automatically face prosecution under anti-terror laws if they returned to the UK if they could prove they had not been fighting.
A government source told the Observer: "UK law makes provisions to deal with different conflicts in different ways - fighting in a foreign war is not automatically an offence but will depend on the nature of the conflict and the individual's own activities."