UK intelligence officials: Most Western militants in Syria are Britons

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) From among the 1,000 Westerners fighting with different militant groups in Syria over 300 are British nationals, intelligence sources told the Telegraph on Tuesday.British government officials raised concerns that those Britons, who have joined the militancy inside Syria, will pose a security threat to their home country.A senior Whitehall source said British militants could cause “a major security issue” when they return to the UK as they are “openly associating” with terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda.“Not only will they be battle-hardened as a result of their experience in Syria, they will also have been trained in all the latest terrorist techniques,” the source added.This comes as a new report, published by the Associated Press, shows that the number of European residents who have entered into operations against the Syrian government inside the Arab country has increased over the past six months.The report also revealed that new networks recruit the western Europe-based militants and arrange their travel and lodging in Syria.According to media reports, released earlier this month, at least four British men were killed while fighting alongside al-Qaeda-linked militants in Syria.The men were found to be part of 10 British extremists who had joined up with 20 other UK nationals to fight alongside the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside the Arab country. /149