Swedish girls trafficked to join ISIL: Official

Swedish girls have been forced to Syria and Iraq to fight for the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group, a Swedish official says.

Mona Sahlin, Sweden’s national coordinator against extremism and violence, said that girls have also been trafficked to Yemen and south Asian countries such as Afghanistan to fight for the militant group, the digital news publisher TheLocal.se reported on Monday.

According to Sahlin, many of the girls’ relatives have suggested that their children did not go abroad voluntarily.

The comments by Sahlin come just over a week after the Swedish security service, Säpo, reported that an estimated 250 to 300 Swedish citizens have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight for ISIL and the number is growing rapidly.

In recent months, thousands of people from Europe are said to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight for the ISIL, which currently controls large areas of the two countries.

According to an October report by the UN Security Council, 15,000 foreigners have flocked to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the ISIL or other terrorist groups.

European countries have repeatedly expressed concern over the ISIL’s influence across the continent. Authorities fear that the European militants will use their combat skills against their countries upon returning home.