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Three British girls believed to be Syria-bound

Xinhua, February 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Three schoolgirls from east London are believed to have traveled to Syria after their families reported them missing, the British Metropolitan Police Service confirmed Friday.

The three girls, Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16 and a third unnamed 15-year-old girl are pupils at a school in east London and are close friends, the police said. Begum is possibly traveling under the name of Aklima Begum and citing her age as 17 years old.

Police said the trio flew from Gatwick Airport on Feb. 17, and boarded Turkish Airlines flight TK 1966 to Istanbul, which departed at 12:40 p.m. local time (1240 GMT) and landed at 6:40 p.m. local time (1640 GMT).

Families of Begum and the 15-year-old girl reported them missing to police later Tuesday evening, and Sultana's family reported her missing the next morning.

"We are extremely concerned for the safety of these young girls and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to police. Our priority is the safe return of these girls to their families," said Commander Richard Walton of the Counter Terrorism Command.

Walton urged anyone who saw the girls as they were en route to Turkey - either while making their way to Gatwick, waiting at the airport, on the flight, or when they arrived in Istanbul - to contact the police.

"We are concerned about the numbers of girls and young women who have, or are intending to travel, to the part of Syria that is controlled by the terrorist group calling themselves Islamic State," the commander said.

Police are now working with the families and overseas authorities in an attempt to locate the girls and return them to Britain. Endit