Seven Britons are among a group of students who have travelled to Turkey in what is believed to be an attempt to join Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.



The 12 students, who all studied medicine at the University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Khartoum, Sudan, left for Turkey on Friday.

In March, it emerged that nine British medical students and doctors had travelled to Syria to work in areas controlled by Isis. They had also been studying medicine in Sudan.

Dr Ahmed Babikir, a dean at the private university in Khartoum, said it was likely the group, which is made up of men and women and includes Canadian and American citizens, was trying to reach Syria to join Isis. “We confirmed reports from multiple parties that 12 medical students at the university left for Turkey on Friday,” he said.

Khartoum airport authorities confirmed the group had flown to Turkey and the students’ families said they had not seen them since Friday and were unable to find their passports, Babikir added. “Logic says that they travelled to join the Daesh organisation.”



None of the students has been named but a university source said all 12 were in their final year.

“These students were recruited to the Islamic State organisation by some individuals inside the university through conversations they had with them,” the source said.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed that seven British nationals had travelled to Turkey from Sudan. “We are working closely with the Turkish authorities to establish their whereabouts and provide consular assistance.”



