1 Brit dies every 3 weeks in Syria, Iraq

A study shows that every three weeks, at least one British national has been killed in the conflict in Syria and Iraq; but the true total number of the fatalities could be much bigger.

In 2014 alone, 16 British nationals have been killed in the war zone that spreads from the Mediterranean coast to central Iraq, and to Kurdish-controlled areas on the Turkish border with Syria.

The figure indicates that roughly three British nationals are dying every two months, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR) at King’s College in London stated.

ICSR’s figures were updated after reports that 24-year-old Mamanour Roshid had become the third person from the city of Portsmouth who was killed in Syria on Tuesday.

The majority of British militants have joined the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.

The average age of those who have died was 23.5, the study said.

However, the true total of British nationals dead in the war zone could be much higher, said Shiraz Maher, an ICSR research fellow.

Other Britons have been reported dead but could not be substantially verified, while some deaths may have evaded monitoring altogether, Maher noted.

On Tuesday, Metropolitan Police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, said at least five Britons are travelling to Iraq and Syria every week to join the ISIL Takfiri group.

The commissioner said since the beginning of 2014, the Metropolitan Police have made 218 arrests for activities related to terrorism, which shows a rise of approximately 70 percent compared to three years ago.

GMA/HSN/SS