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Last Portsmouth IS fighter 'killed in Syria' | Last Portsmouth IS fighter 'killed in Syria' |
(about 5 hours later) | |
The final member of a group from Portsmouth who travelled to Syria to fight for the Islamic State (IS) group has reportedly been killed. | The final member of a group from Portsmouth who travelled to Syria to fight for the Islamic State (IS) group has reportedly been killed. |
Assad Uzzaman, 25, was one of five men who left the UK in October 2013 to fight as jihadists. | Assad Uzzaman, 25, was one of five men who left the UK in October 2013 to fight as jihadists. |
His death has been reported by academic Shiraz Maher who tracks the movements of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. | His death has been reported by academic Shiraz Maher who tracks the movements of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. |
Three of the Portsmouth group have also been killed. A fifth was jailed when he returned to the UK. | Three of the Portsmouth group have also been killed. A fifth was jailed when he returned to the UK. |
Mehdi Hassan, Mamunur Roshid and Hamidur Rahman have previously died in Syria. | Mehdi Hassan, Mamunur Roshid and Hamidur Rahman have previously died in Syria. |
Mashudur Choudhury returned to the UK after a few weeks and last year became the first person in the UK to be convicted of terrorist offences in connection with the conflict in Syria. | Mashudur Choudhury returned to the UK after a few weeks and last year became the first person in the UK to be convicted of terrorist offences in connection with the conflict in Syria. |
Another Portsmouth man, Ifthekar Jaman, left in the spring of 2013 and was also killed in fighting. | Another Portsmouth man, Ifthekar Jaman, left in the spring of 2013 and was also killed in fighting. |
Uzzaman's death was reported by Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College in London. | Uzzaman's death was reported by Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College in London. |
He said: "The last of the Portsmouth cluster of fighters with Islamic State, Assad Uzzaman (Abu Abdullah) has died." | He said: "The last of the Portsmouth cluster of fighters with Islamic State, Assad Uzzaman (Abu Abdullah) has died." |
In a statement, Flick Drummond, Portsmouth South MP, said she had visited his family earlier, describing them as "heartbroken". | |
On behalf of the family, she said she had spoken to the Foreign Office in a bid to find out how Mr Uzzaman died and if his remains could be brought back to Portsmouth. | |
She said she had been assured officials would look into it as a "top priority". | |
"Many people will have strong views about what Assad has done, but he was a much-loved son from a family who were completely integrated with British society with no extremist sympathies whatsoever," she said. | |
She also said she believed he and his friends "were well meaning when they went to Syria". | |
"The lesson here is simple: Anyone who thinks it a good idea to fight in Syria on any side should consider the very real possibility it will cost them their life," she added. |
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