UK troops fighting British 'jihadists' in Afghanistan: Report
London, Feb 26: UK troops are engaged in a "surreal mini-civil war" on the battlefields of Afghanistan where they are fighting British "jihadists" aligned with the Taliban, top intelligence reports have shown. According to the MI5, an estimated 4,000 British Muslims have travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for military training, with "dozens" switching to the front-line. Till now the main concern of the UK security services about British Muslims travelling to Pakistan has been their links to terrorist plots in the UK. However, latest reports indicate that the "jihadists" are mounting missions against British and Western targets in the warzone.
Intelligence reports show that rising numbers of "home-grown jihadists" have joined the Taliban. According to senior military sources, UK troops are engaged in a "surreal mini-civil war" in the restive Helmand province, the Mail online reported.
Conservative Party lawmaker Patrick Mercer, the chairman of the House of Commons anti-terrorism sub-committee which has been examining British Muslim extremism, expressed concern at the development. "We know the problem we have with UK-based jihadists," said the Tory parliamentarian.
"We also know that a number of them have been arrested trying to leave the country," he underlined.
"With the UK intelligence services at full stretch, it is not surprising some of these jihadists have ended up in Afghanistan," Mercer was quoted as saying by the Mail online.
Bureau Report
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N A D E E M M A L I K
Director Programme
AAJ TV
ISLAMABAD
00-92-321-5117511
nadeem.malik@hotmail.com
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