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British Teen Killed In Syria 'No Danger' To UK

The father of a Brighton teenager who was killed fighting in Syria has told Sky News his son was "no danger" to the UK.

Abdullah Deghayes and his brothers Amer, 20, and Jafar, 16, travelled to Syria without their parents' permission, Abubaker Deghayes said.

He found out about the 18-year-old's death on Monday, through a message on Facebook.

Amer was also wounded in the fighting when he was shot in the stomach.

"I think if somebody has a just cause and he believes in it he should do it," Mr Deghayes said.

"I think as a Muslim that my son is a martyr."

Mr Deghayes said he had never encouraged his son to go to Syria but that he believed he had gone to protect innocent civilians in the country's civil war.

"I hope this was his intention," said Mr Deghayes. "I hope he is rewarded and I hope he is in peace now."

Abdullah was the nephew of Omar Deghayes, who was held by the United States as an enemy combatant at Guantanamo Bay detention camp between 2002 and 2007 after he was arrested in Pakistan. He was released without charge.

Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News the Foreign Office was still looking into reports of the death.

He reiterated that British nationals should not travel to the country because of the "extreme" dangers.

The situation in Syria is currently so volatile the UK does not have a representative there, making it difficult to establish the facts.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "On Monday, April 14, we received information that an 18-year-old Brighton man had been killed in Syria in recent weeks.

"The circumstances of this reported death remain unclear and we are in contact with the family."

The teenager’s Facebook page says he was a student at Longhill High School, at Rottingdean, near Brighton.

It adds that he intended to be a University of Brighton student from 2015 and works for Adidas.

Messages on Mr Deghaye's Facebook page suggest he left the UK in February.

On April 4, messages were posted saying "may God protect him".

As news of his death in Syria emerged, friends posted tributes on social networking sites.

Finn Langford said: "Feels so weird that your actually gone rip Abdullah Deghayes gone but never forgotten sleep tight mate xxx."

Harry Hall posted: "Never forgett you brother, love ya."

Nezar El-bayouk posted on Twitter: "R.I.P. To My Boy Abdullah Deghayes. Jannah InshAllah!"

Another woman, Miss'Newland, posted: "R.I.P this is such a shock, can not get my head around it. Everyone's gonna miss you Abdullah Deghayes. much love xxx"

Around 400 Britons are believed to have gone to Syria over the last two years, many of them to join the civil war, with an estimated 20 having died.