British fighters joining jihadists

Beirut – A blond-haired, blue-eyed jihadist is one of the most prominent militants from Britain to have joined a deadly terrorist group in Syria, moderate rebels claimed yesterday.

The man, whose nom de guerre is Abu al-Sayeef, is believed to operate out of Raqqa, a city in the northeast of Syria that is under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to information provided by Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamad al-Abboud, commander of the eastern frontline for the Free Syrian Army.

The alleged jihadist’s true name is not known. ‘‘He is located on al- Mikas checkpoint in Raqqa,’’ a Syrian rebel source said. ‘‘There are many naturalised British fighters originating from North African countries who are infamous for their brutality. The number of Europeans among ISIS ranks has exceeded 1000.’’

The comments came after a senior rebel commander claimed in The Times yesterday that the bulk of foreign fighters that join ISIS come from Britain.

Brigadier-General Abdulellah al-Basheer pleaded with the British government to send weapons to the moderate Syrian opposition to help them to deal with the brutal threat. He warned that British extremists could return home to ‘‘continue on their pernicious path of destruction’’.

The Syrian frontline is an increasingly three-way war between moderate rebels, the regime and ISIS. The FSA’s Raqqa Revolutionary Brigade has been battling ISIS in Raqqa province for the past month, retaking villages but as yet failing to reclaim the city.

The moderate fighters say that their struggle is not just on behalf of Syria but also the world, given the international threat posed by ISIS, whose methods of brutality are so extreme that even al-Qaeda has denounced them.

‘‘We are fighting the extremists and the terrorists who have no relation to the Islamic religion,’’ said Abu Eissa, a former merchant who commands the 500-strong Raqqa brigade. ‘‘We have not received any support.’’

He recalled a battle last month in which his men allegedly killed several foreign fighters.

‘‘Many have come from Europe without being stopped by their governments, unfortunately,’’ he said.

‘‘They claim that they are here to fight against the regime but instead they are fighting us.’’

It is believed that some 500 Britons have travelled to fight in Syria.