Families of ISIS schoolgirls fear they have all been killed in war-torn Syria

WHEN three girls fled Britain to join the Islamic State their families feared the worst. Now it looks as though their nightmare has come true.

THREE British schoolgirls are feared dead in a “hellishly dangerous” Syrian city where bombs have been exploding close to their last known location.

The three girls made headlines around the world when they ran away from their East London school in February last year.

Shamima Begum, 16, Kadiza Sultana, 17, and Amira Abase, 16, were apparently radicalised after reading Islamic State propaganda online.

The trio kept in contact with their families even though they lived in Raqqa — a Syrian city under the tight control of IS that has been described as ’ “hellishly dangerous”.

But in an ominous sign, a lawyer who represents the families of Shamima and Kadiza has revealed all contact with the girls was lost in mid-December, reported The Independent.

The last contact happened just before US, UK and Russia upped their bombardment of Raqqa, where a number of buildings linked to IS have been destroyed.

“They are in Raqqa, or were there certainly up until a few weeks ago,’ lawyer Tasnime Akunjee told BBC Radio 4’s Today program. He said the city was “hellishly dangerous”.

“Contact has been lost with them for some weeks now, so to be honest we have no idea what their status is at the moment.”

Speaking of the girls’ families Mr Akunjee said he could not find the language to describe what they are going through, adding: “Bombs are being dropped in the close proximity of their children ... when you have that war zone strategy in front of you, what can parents halfway across the world do to communicate with their children?”

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15.

Amira Abase.

Last July The Guardianreported that at least two of the girls had married IS fighters, although at the request of their families the newspaper refused to disclose which of the girls had gotten married.

At the time they fled, their families made emotional pleas for them to come home.

“If you’re watching this, baby, please come home,” said Renu Begum, an older sister of one of the missing girls, Shamima Begum, told the BBC.

“Mum needs you more than anything in the world. You’re our baby and we just want you home, we want you safe. Just contact anybody let them know that you need help.”

A relative of Kadiza Sultana said “everyone’s hurting”.

“Find the courage in your heart to contact us and let us know that you’re safe and you’re OK,” the relative said.

Tragically, it seems like it could be too late.

Originally published as Families of ISIS schoolgirls fear they have all been killed in war-torn Syria