Syria-bound British teenagers bailed

Three British youths who tried to travel to Syria have returned to the UK, where they've been arrested on suspicion of terrorism but granted bail.

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(AAP) Source: Getty Images

Three male British teenagers detained in Turkey as they tried to travel to Syria have been arrested after returning to the UK, but have been granted bail.

The London trio - a man aged 19 and two 17-year-old boys - were arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts after returning to the UK, police said.

On Friday, police were made aware that the two boys had gone missing and were believed to be travelling to Syria. Inquiries revealed they had travelled with a third person, the 19-year-old man.

A Met police spokesman said: "Officers alerted the Turkish authorities who were able to intercept all three males, preventing travel to Syria.

"On Saturday, the three males returned to the UK and were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

"They have been bailed to return to a central London police station pending further inquiries."

The trio are reported to have travelled to Spain before flying to Turkey - a route taken by Hayat Boumedienne, the widow of one of the terrorists who carried out the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in January.

The arrest of the three male teens comes just weeks after an international manhunt was launched to find three London schoolgirls who travelled to Istanbul on their journey to Syria.

However, Shamima Begum, 15, Amira Abase, also 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, are now feared to have reached the conflict zone to become so-called "jihadi brides" with Islamic State.

The families of the three girls have released a statement appealing for them to come home immediately.

Saying they felt their loss "more acutely" on Mother's Day, the families also criticised authorities, saying they've been disappointed by the handling of the matter by the girls' school, Met Police and the local authority.

They say all had failed to act appropriately and pass on vital information to them or indeed to each other.

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

Around 600 Britons are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq since the conflict began, according to Scotland Yard.


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Source: AAP



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