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FBI warns about US youths joining ISIL

The FBI has warned law enforcement agencies across the US about American youths wanting to join ISIL.

US officials have warned the public and law enforcement agencies across the country about young Americans wanting to join the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

The warning was issued Thursday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amid heightened concerns over the recruitment of American and other Western nationals by ISIL, officials said.

The joint intelligence bulletin was issued "to provide further information on the continuing trend of Western youth being inspired by ISIL to travel to Syria to participate in conflict," said a DHS official.

"We remain concerned about the recruitment efforts made by ISIL particularly through social media engagement and we urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement," the official added.

Law enforcement agencies were tracking "lots of cases" similar to that of an American teenager suspected of helping a man get to the Middle East to join the terrorist group, according to CNN.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested in the Washington suburb of Woodbridge, Virginia, on Friday for using online contacts to make travel arrangements for the man to go to Syria to join ISIL, the Washington Post reported.

The ISIL terrorists -- some of whom were amongst militants initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government -- now control large parts of Syria and Iraq.

On February 19, the US and Turkey inked an agreement to train and arm what they call moderate militants in Syria.

AHT/HRJ


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