A schoolgirl who left London for Syria to join IS has been killed in a Russian air strike.
Kadiza Sultana was just 16 when she and two friends boarded a plane for Raqqa in order to wed IS terrorists. Her family’s lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee told the BBC Newsnight she had been killed a few weeks ago, though it was not yet officially confirmed.
Kadiza had been studying for her GCSE’s at Bethnal Green Academy when her and her two friends decided to leave the UK.
Mr. Akunjee has said her family are devastated. Her sister Halima Khanom has said “we were expecting this in a way. But at least we know she is in a better place.”
Mr. Akunjee said Kadiza had decided to leave IS after her husband died and she realised the reality of life in IS, but was scared of getting caught escaping, for which she would suffer a brutal punishment.
Before her death, a transcript published by ITV revealed a phone call between Kadiza and her Khanom.
Sultana: I don’t have a good feeling. I feel scared.
Khanom: You feel scared? Why do you feel scared?
Sultana: Yes. You know if something goes wrong, that’s it. I will never be with you.
Khanom: I understand what you mean. I know what you mean. It is…from where you are I can understand you feeling like that but I would say just trust us.
Sultana: You know the borders are closed right now, so how am I going to get out? I am not going to go through PKK [Kurdish forces inside Syria] territory to come out, I am never going to do that, ever.
Khanom: How confident are you feeling in terms of getting out?
Sultana: Zero….. Where is Mum? I want to speak to her.
Mr. Akunjee said Kadiza wanted to return to the UK but faced severe difficulties doing so. “The problem with that was the risk factors around leaving are quite terminal also, in that if ISIS [IS] were able to detect and capture you then their punishment is quite brutal for trying to leave.
“In the week where she was thinking of these issues a young Austrian girl had been caught trying to leave ISIS territory and was by all reports beaten to death publicly, so – given that that was circulated in the region as well as outside – I think Kadiza took that as a bad omen and decided not to take the risk.”
