German Intelligence Chief: More German Women Joining ISIS

BERLIN- Chief of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency fears a growing number of women have gone to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside the terrorist organization calling itself “Islamic State” (ISIS), Reuters reported.

Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of the agency, told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that there had been a sharp increase in the number of young women under 25 leaving Germany to join the insurgents.

He said that about 100 of the 700 Germans in combat areas were women and about half of those women were under 25.

“We’ve seen a rise in the number of women who fall for the increased appeal of the recruiting activities both on the Internet and through direct personal contacts,” Maassen said, adding the number of “sympathizers” in Germany had grown to about 7,500. “The threat is becoming increasingly complex.”

He said that about 100 people from Germany who joined the terrorists had been killed. He said there were indications that the numbers of those killed had increased considerably since the start of 2015. About one-third of those who left Germany have returned and more than 50 of those had combat experience.

Last September, Chancellor Angela Merkel had said about 400 Germans and hundreds of other Europeans had traveled to the region to join the fight alongside ISIS, whereas Western intellligence bodies confirmed that the number of terrorists who left Germany to Syria and Iraq reached 600. 

H.M