East Londoner found in Syria fighting for Islamist brigade

 
Damaged tanks are seen at the town of Atareb on the outskirts of Aleppo after clashes between Free Syria Army and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al Assad, August 11, 2012. Picture taken August 11, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout
REUTERS
17 August 2012

A British Islamist from east London is fighting for Syrian rebels in the civil war against President Assad’s regime, it was claimed today.

A man calling himself “Abu Jacoub”, from Walthamstow, was apparently seen on the front line in Aleppo.

Born in Tanzania, he claimed he had converted to Islam five years ago and arrived in Syria four months ago to join an Islamist brigade. “I will stay here until I die,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “I want to die in Syria. We must all taste paradise, and when that happens is decided already.”

When calling himself “Abu Jacoub”, he added: “The name I give might be a lie. Everything I say might be a lie.”

He was found in a field hospital in the suburb of Salaheddin, fighting with Ahrar al-Sham, “Free Men of Syria”.

Abu Yacoub said he went to Syria “to help the people here”.

“Allah knows,” he said, when asked whether he was married, and other details of his personal life. But he said that his mother, although she was Christian, knew where he was and what he was doing and was “cool” with it. “She is a good woman,” he said.

Despite concerns in the West and among their own ranks, the Syrian rebels will accept help from Islamist groups and foreign extremists.

One of the leaders, Abdulrahman al-Salameh, said his ranks contained overseas fighters who fought the Americans in Iraq.

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