UK treating claim of British jihadists involvement in Syria kidnapping 'seriously'

London, Aug.6 (ANI): The Foreign Office has said it is taking reports claiming that Britons were among Islamist militants who kidnapped and wounded two photographers in Syria 'very seriously'.

Photographers John Cantlie and Jeroen Oerlemans, who were held at a camp for a week in July, made the claims.

"I think these are disenchanted young men from the UK, who are now unified under this jihadist banner. I think they took out their angst on us," the BBC quoted Cantlie, as saying.

The photographer said he entered Syria across the border with Turkey, using the same route and guide that he had used earlier in the year.

But this time he and his companions were detained after passing through a camp inhabited by Islamic jihadists who, he said, were not from Syria.

"They were from Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UK and Chechnya. A real mix," he said.

He said that there were "between 10 and 15 young jihadists from the UK" who he described as being "a mixed bunch".

A Foreign Office spokesman said the government was "taking very seriously any claims or reports that indicate there are British nationals amongst foreign fighters in Syria".

"We are monitoring the situation as closely as possible. Clearly, the deteriorating security situation in Syria leaves a dangerous space for foreign fighters," he said.

The Free Syrian Army group, which is part of the opposition trying to oust Bashar al-Assad, had helped them to escape.

Cantlie, who is British, and his Dutch colleague, Oerlemans, were both wounded in a 'shooting gallery' as their kidnappers fired at them while fleeing.

The kidnapping took place amid the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Cantlie said that he and his colleague were regularly threatened with death. (ANI)