British Teenage Terror Suspects Back In UK

Three British teenagers are back in the UK after being detained for allegedly trying to travel to Syria to join terror group Islamic State.

The group, a 19-year-old male and two boys aged 17, are being held at a central London police station after being arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, said Scotland Yard.

They were apprehended at Sabiha Gokcen airport in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

It is believed they travelled from England to Spain before flying on to the country.

The detainees have not been named, but Sky sources in Turkey say the initials of the men are GH, MNG, and MA.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said counter-terrorism officers were alerted on Friday that two 17-year-olds from northwest London had gone missing and were believed to be travelling to Syria. Enquiries revealed they had gone with a third male, aged 19.

However, Scotland Yard declined to say exactly how long in total they had been away from home.

Officers alerted Turkish authorities who intercepted all three and prevented them crossing into Syria.

A Met police spokesman said: "On Saturday, 14 March the three males returned to the UK and at approximately 11.10pm were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.

"All three have been taken to a central London police station, where they remain in custody."

The detention of the males points to a new level of cooperation between the UK and Turkish police forces, which has faced criticism after three British schoolgirls travelled to Syria to join IS.

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15, flew to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".

The girls' families issued a statement on Sunday, saying they were feeling their absence "more acutely on Mothers Day" (15 March) and were praying for their "immediate safe return".

The statement said they felt let down by the girls' school, the local council and the police, and accused them of failing to "act appropriately and pass on vital information".

"Had we been made aware of circumstances sooner, we ourselves could have taken measures to stop the girls from leaving the UK," said the families.

"Looking to the future, we hope to work with the relevant authorities to rectify the situation, and we will continue to do everything we possibly can to ensure our girls are brought back to us safely."

The girls, who all attended Bethnal Green Academy in East London, are believed to be staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold Raqqa.

Speaking after the detention of the three males, Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "We need to be vigilant.

"Clearly this flight of young people to Turkey in order to go to Syria is on a much larger scale than we envisaged."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said he would be willing to talk with Bashar al Assad to stop Syria's four-year civil war.