12 U.K. family members feared to have joined ISIS
LONDON -- British police are searching for a family that failed to return home after going on an Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, amid fears they might have joined another relative already fighting with ISIS in Syria.
Family members fear three British sisters and their nine children from Bradford, in Northern England, traveled to Turkey and then continued on to Syria -- a route commonly used by would-be jihadists.
A lawyer acting on behalf of the women's husbands, Balaal Khan, told CBS News partner network Sky News the men were "concerned that their children's lives are in danger."
"The concern is for the well-being and safety of the children. The fathers are distraught, they feel helpless and they don't know what to do. They want the children out of harm's way," Mr. Khan told Sky.
The twelve were on a pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia and were scheduled to return to the U.K. on June 11.
It is believed that the family may have traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The women's brother is already there and believed to be fighting alongside ISIS, according to Sky.
West Yorkshire Police identified the three women as Khadija Dawood, Sugra Dawood and Zohra Dawood. The nine children are between ages three and 15.
The missing family members haven't contacted the husbands in the U.K. for more than a week. Since the day they traveled to Istanbul, there has been no activity on any of their social networking accounts, Sky reported.
West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster urged anyone with information about the family to come forward.
"Our priority is for the safe return; their families are gravely worried about them and want them home. One of our primary concerns is the safety and welfare of the young children," Foster said in a statement.
An estimated 700 Britons have travelled to Syria to join ISIS, along with hundreds of other Europeans and dozens of Americans.