COUNTER-TERRORISM police are leading the investigation into the whereabouts of three Bradford sisters and their nine children who are feared to have travelled to Syria after going on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

The sisters and their children, whose ages range from three to 15, were due back in the UK on Thursday, according to the family's lawyer.

MOSQUES ORGANISATION CALLS FOR ANSWERS OVER 9 MISSING BRADFORD CHILDREN LAST SEEN IN SAUDI ARABIA

It is believed that ten of the family travelled to Istanbul aboard a flight on June 9.

Since that date, their mobile phones have not been active and their social media profiles have not been updated.

It is thought the group travelled to Syria where a brother of the three sisters is believed to be fighting with extremists.

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Speaking in Bradford this morning, Balaal Hussain Khan, a lawyer acting for the fathers of the missing children, said: "We've had no answers whatsoever, we don't know what's happened."

He said the fathers last spoke to their children on June 8.

He said: "The fathers are understandably quite distraught. One can imagine, not seeing their children for three weeks or so.

"The last conversation with their children was when they were in Medina on the 8th. They said 'We love you, we're missing you, we can't wait to come home'.

"They have been distraught, crying, they don't know what to do."

Mr Khan said he could not confirm reports that the family were under police surveillance before they travelled to Saudi Arabia.

West Yorkshire Police today declined to confirm or deny the reports.

The solicitor added that the children's fathers were happy for the trip to take place.

Mr Khan said the fathers are appealing for anyone who may be able to help trace the family to come forward.

"They are just appealing for further information," he said.

"If there are any friends of the wives or even the children who might have known about this trip, where they are going or if there has been any contact with anyone other than the family members, we are quite keen on you contacting either the police, my firm or the family directly."

Mr Khan said the last sighting of the family was at the hotel in Medina.

There have been no confirmed sightings since that point, although travel agents have confirmed that 10 tickets were bought for a flight from Medina to Istanbul.

It is not known if the family boarded the flight or if the two children who were unaccounted for are still with the rest of their family.

Mr Khan said he had asked for CCTV footage from Medina and from Turkey.

He said: "Ten out of the 12 have been accounted for. We don't know what's happened to the other two, so there's a lot of unanswered questions as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned as well.

"How the tickets were purchased, why they were purchased, how they got the visas - it's those questions we want answering."

Mr Khan said the 15-year-old boy was acting as the family's mahram - an appropriate male responsible for the family - during the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

He also confirmed that the husband of one of the women is in Pakistan.

He said it was not known where they had gone nor why, but he added: "Obviously, in the back of everyone's mind, is an attempt to get into Syria for some reason."

Mr Khan said he had been liaising with counter-terrorism officers based in Leeds.

He said the women's partners had wanted to travel to Turkey to find their wives and children, which he had advised against.

He said: "They cannot do anything. They have been unable to eat or sleep and are literally sat by the phone, hoping that one of the family members will contact them."

Mr Khan said he would be meeting with the fathers, and Bradford West MP Naz Shah today, and then meeting police.

He added: "It is quite scary because two of the children are possibly not traceable. We are eager for police in Saudi Arabia to look at CCTV from Medina to ascertain what the position is - whether it is a computer glitsch, or the children are not there. There are a lot of unanswered questions."

The families all live in the Little Horton area of Bradford.

The missing women are mother-of-two Khadija Dawood, 30, mother-of-five Sugra Dawood, 34, and mother-of-two Zohra Dawood, 33.

The children are Ismaeel Iqbal, three, Mariya Iqbal, five, Muhammad Haseeb, five, Nurah Binte Zubair, five, Maryam Siqqiqui, seven, Haafiyah Binte Zubair, eight, Zaynab Iqbal, eight, Ibrahim Iqbal, 14, and Junaid Ahmed Iqbal, 15.

Preliminary inquiries suggested that ten members of the group boarded a flight from Madina, Saudi Arabia to Istanbul, Turkey, on June 9.

Mrs Dawood's two children, aged five and eight, might not have been on the flight and there are particular concerns for them.

It is understood that police have contacted the Turkish authorities.

This afternoon, the North East Counter Terrorism Unit confirmed it is leading the investigation into the missing Dawood family.

In a statement it said: "The North East CTU has wide experience of dealing with such enquiries and has effective liaison with partners nationally such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and internationally with authorities and law enforcement agencies overseas.

"Although the North East CTU is keeping an open mind, there are lines of enquiry being progressed with the Turkish authorities and the possibility of the family attempting to travel to Syria is being explored. A primary concern is the safety and welfare of the young children and the safe return of the family."

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police said: "West Yorkshire Police can confirm that they received a report that 12 people (three adults and nine children) from the Bradford area are missing; Khadija Dawood, Sugra Dawood and Zohra Dawood and nine children aged between five and 15 years.

"Since their disappearance was reported on June 11, West Yorkshire Police has been supporting the family and carrying out extensive inquiries.

"Officers have commenced an investigation to establish their whereabouts and are working extensively with authorities overseas to try to locate them."

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "We are extremely concerned for the safety of the family and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to us.

"Our priority is for their safe return; their families are gravely worried about them and want them home. One of our primary concerns is the safety and welfare of the young children”

Earlier today, West Yorkshire Police said that national and international inquiries to trace the families are continuing.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "West Yorkshire Police are dealing with the family. Until we have further information we cannot comment."

Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah said she had spoken to two of the fathers and described them as "confused", adding they had had no contact with the women or children.

She said: "I asked them if there was any indication and they said absolutely not - it was a shock to them, it came out of the blue.

"The men are very, very distraught. They are confused and did not know what was happening or why it was happening.

"At this time there is no contact, absolutely zero contact with the women or children. The last contact was a few days ago when they were due to leave."