The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS have left a West Yorkshire family devastated after they released a photo of the 17-year old smiling in front of an ISIS flag this last Saturday.
Talha Asmal, 17, had left for Turkey in April with a friend, Hassan Munshi, also 17 at the time to join the terrorist group, at the time the family known what happened, an urgent appeal was issued for their time, worried that both boys might have joined the sect.
The militant group released a statement saying Abu Yusuf al-Britani, (a new name given to Asmal) had been involved in a suicide mission where he detonated a vehicle fitted with explosives in the northern Iraqi town of Baiji. He had detonated the vehicle with other foreigners from countries like Germany, Kuwait, Palestine, two Dagestan, and one national of Turkmenistan with similar missions. Talha Asmal is the youngest British to be involved in suicide bombing.
The family of Talha Asmal released a statement when they heard the news of the bombing :
Asmal was a "loving, kind, caring and affable" and had no "ill will against anybody nor did he ever exhibit any violent, extreme or radical views of any kind, It seems that ISIS targeted the teen and "exploited" his "tender years and naivety," they said, adding that the terror group apparently carried out a "process of deliberate and calculated grooming of him."
As a result of this and completely unbeknown to us, his family, and entirely against our wishes, he ended up traveling it seems to Iraq.
Whilst there it appears that Talha fell under the spell of individuals who continued to prey on his innocence and vulnerability to the point where if the press reports are accurate he was ordered to his death by so-called Isis handlers and leaders too cowardly to do their own dirty work.
We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us.
Isis did not represent Islam or Muslims in any way, shape of form.
The attack happened in two waves, In one of the attacks, 4 car bombers raced and drove through an Iraqi security forces checkpoint , 16 people were killed while 29 were wounded. The Iraqi forces have believed the SUV's are convoy for a high-level official.
The other attack, three car bombers blew themselves up near security forces, causing numerous injuries, but no death was recorded.