TO his friends, Ibrahim al-Mazwagi was “a bit of a joker” who enjoyed taking part in the rough and tumble of American football.

Unbeknown to most of them, however, al-Mazwagi spent his holidays indulging in a far more dangerous — and for him ultimately fatal — pursuit fighting alongside Islamic jihadists.

Al-Mazwagi was brought up in northwest London and studied at Hertfordshire University in Hatfield. He was killed last month, just a fortnight before his 22nd birthday, the first British-born jihadist known to have died fighting in Syria.

Known by his fellow fighters as Abu al-Fida’a — meaning father of redemption — al-Mazwagi is one of about 80 British men who are believed to have travelled to Syria in the past two years to fight