Jihadi brides are being used to encourage UK women to launch terror attacks, experts have warned as the risk of lone-wolf attacks remains high.
British women who travel to Syria with the hope of joining ISIS' "caliphate" have "zero" chance of returning even though the utopia-like dream is quickly shattered. Instead their only outlet is to be used to urge other women in the UK to commit acts of terrorism.
This is according to Sara Khan, co-founder of the anti-radicalisation group Inspire, who said foreign "jihadi brides" are allowed internet access by ISIS on the basis they will contact "sisters" back home.
"They only escape they get is online and they are given that access to have the opportunity to go and chat with other British women and radicalise them," Khan told the Independent.
A report for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue backed this up. Researchers said that although the number leaving European countries to join ISIS had dwindled, women made up a "significant percentage".
"An increasing proportion of women have travelled from some EU member states — for example from the UK, Belgium and, more markedly, the Netherlands," the security agency said. "Women may also seek to radicalise others, take part in on and offline recruitment, and actively finance and facilitate terrorist groups and departure to them."
But Khan suggested ISIS' focus had shifted.
After some key territorial losses in northern Iraq and Syria, the jihadist group have changed their attention to fostering home grown terrorism.
"If you look at what Daesh propaganda is saying they are not encouraging people to travel anymore — instead they are encouraging attacks in the UK," said Khan. "We have seen communications where that is very much a concern...they need to be prevented from believing the propaganda, from believing the UK is their enemy."
