German extremist teenagers fighting in Syria

Male and female European extremist teenagers who adhere to militant groups’ ideology have departed from Germany and Norway for Syria to wage war against President Bashar Assad’s government, reports said. Second German Television (ZDF) broadcast a report that adolescents – including a German Muslim as young as 15 – traveled to Syria to fight against Assad’s government, Al-Alam reported. A "German camp" was created in Syria to recruit extremists, with an estimated 200 German militants involved, some of whom are in Syria or on their way to the Middle Eastern country, according to German intelligence. Der Spiegel news magazine also reported that around 200 are now in the "German Camp" or on their way there, taking a now well-worn route from Germany to Istanbul and through to the Syrian border. The Welt newspaper also said that German security services are increasingly concerned about the number of militants heading to Syria from Europe. They fear that the extremist figures will return to Germany more radicalized after potentially receiving terror training from Al-Qaeda and other foreign backed militant groups in the country. In September, Germany's domestic spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen estimated the number of German extremists in the country at 170 and said 50 had travelled in recent months.