Briton Ifthekar Jaman 'killed fighting in Syria', family says

A British man who travelled to Syria to fight for a group linked to al-Qaeda has been killed, his family has said.

Ifthekar Jaman, from Southsea, Hampshire, said he joined up with the jihadist group the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).

The 23-year-old, who is thought to have left the UK in the spring, told the BBC it was his "duty" because Muslims were "being slaughtered".

The Foreign Office said it was aware of reports a British national had died.

A spokesperson added: "The UK has advised for some time against all travel to Syria where all UK consular services are suspended.

"As we do not have any representation in Syria, it is extremely difficult to get any confirmation of deaths or injuries and our options for supporting British nationals there are extremely limited."

Mr Jaman's family told the BBC that he was killed while fighting forces loyal to the government.

It is believed he was integral in persuading at least four or five other British residents to travel to Syria to fight.

'No UK threat'

The BBC's Newsnight managed to speak to Mr Jaman via an internet video call in a report that was aired last month.

He said: "I am ISIS. This is the group I am with. We are trying to establish the law of God, the law of Allah.

"This is the duty on me... all these people are suffering. Muslims are being slaughtered."

Mr Jaman's brother, Mustakim, said his family understood the reasons for joining the jihad - a holy war or struggle, to establish a caliphate, a state based on Sharia (Islamic law).

In the report, he said: "If he dies in his cause, then he's not died in vain, has he? He's doing a good deed."

Mustakim said he believed his brother had become radicalised over a long period of time but posed no threat to the UK as he had no plans to return home.