By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG
A South African minister confirmed Monday that a 15-year-old girl had been removed from a plane in Cape Town on suspicion she was heading to join Daesh militant group.
"We had to take her out of the flight because of the suspected links of being tried to be recruited by the terrorist group called ISIS [Daesh]," State Security Minister David Mahlobo told ETV local television channel.
The young girl, whose identity was not divulged, reportedly disappeared from her parent’s home early Sunday and the intelligence was alerted to check ports of entry before she was found on the plane.
According to security officials, the teenager is reported to have told them she was going to join Daesh, which last year overran vast territories in both Syria and Iraq.
She had also reportedly been active on social media and read materials that showed she had interested in the militant group.
Mahlobo said authorities were still conducting further investigations to find out how the girl got recruited and who had arranged the funds for her travel out of the country.
In the past, there have been unconfirmed reports of South Africans reportedly joining Daesh.
Last year, Iraqi ambassador to Pretoria Hushaim al-Alawi told The Anadolu Agency in an interview that South Africans were reportedly being recruited to join Daesh.
Muslim leaders in South Africa could not be reached for comment on the report, but are expected to issue a statement.
On many occasions, Muslim authorities in the country have condemned the activities of Daesh and other militant groups.
South African Muslims, who make up about 2.5 percent of the country’s strong over 50 million population, are known to tow a very moderate and liberal line.
S. African parents deny saying daughter was joining Daesh
The family of a 15-year-old South African girl removed from a plane in Cape Town this week denied telling authorities she was headed to join the Daesh militant group in Syria and Iraq.
"They did not know that their daughter was heading to joining Daesh otherwise they wouldn’t have reported her missing," Hanif Loonat, a respected Cape Town community leader and a friend of the family told The Anadolu Agency late Tuesday.
South Africa State Security Minister David Mahlobo told local media Monday that a 15-year-old girl had been removed from a plane in Cape Town on suspicion of travelling to join Daesh.
Security officials have since claimed that her parents had told them the girl was joining the notorious militant group, which control vast territories in both Syria and Iraq.
But Loonat, who said he knows the family well, insisted they had assured him that they had not told authorities their daughter was joining Daesh.
"If the family knew that she was going to join ISIS they wouldn't have reported her as missing," he told AA by phone.
"I cannot believe what I am hearing in the media," said the community leader.
Security officials claimed the teenager had confessed she was going to join Daesh.
They suggested the girl had been active on social media and had read materials showing her interest in the militant group.
Mahlobo said Tuesday that authorities were still conducting further investigations to find out how the girl got recruited and who had arranged the funds for her travel out of the country.
"The recruitment and radicalization of particularly young people to take part in acts of terror is a growing global concern and local law enforcement agencies will continue to work hard in clamping these from materializing," the minister said in a Tuesday statement.
He asserted that South Africa will not allow itself to be used as a recruitment platform.
Three young women, one Tanzanian and two Kenyans, were recently arrested by Kenyan security forces at the border with Somalia for allegedly planning to travel to Syria to join Daesh.
Daesh now controls large areas of both Iraq and Syria. It also commands the allegiance of smaller militant groups in several Arab and African countries.
In addition to militants from different countries, Daesh has also attracted several, mostly western, women and girls.
Some of them end up marrying militants to become what has become known as "Jihadi brides."
