Glasgow woman left for Syria ‘promoting terrorism’

A YOUNG woman educated at private school in Glasgow has travelled to Syria where she is understood to have promoted terrorism from her Twitter account.

Aqsa Mahmood was reported missing by her family last year

Aqsa Mahmood, 20, was reported missing by her family last November. She was previously a pupil at the private Craigholme School and then Shawlands Academy in Glasgow.

A Twitter account under the name Umm Layth, which has now been deactivated, is believed to has been set up by Mahmood. The posts included one which encourages others to copy those who killed Fusilier Drummer Lee Rigby in London last year.

It said: “Follow the examples of your brothers from Woolwich, Texas and Boston.”

Another read: “If you cannot make it to the battlefield then bring the battlefield to yourself.”

Last night, members of her family said they knew nothing of her plans and they could not understand why she left.

In a statement, issued through Police Scotland, her family said: “We had no knowledge of our daughter’s plans to leave Scotland and immediately reported her as a missing person to the police.

“Aqsa is a studious and ambitious girl and we cannot understand why she has travelled to Syria.

“We are struggling to come to terms with the situation and we are working with the police. We do not wish to make further comment at this time and as a family wish to be left to deal with this situation in private.”

A police spokesman said: “A 19-year-old female from Scotland was reported missing to Police Scotland by her family in November 2013.

“Inquiries are ongoing in relation to her whereabouts and we are supporting her family.”

Her father is understood to be a successful businessman in Glasgow. There were reports yesterday that Aqsa abandoned a Glasgow Caledonian University course to join Islamic State jihadists fighting in Syria.

And it is understood since travelling to Syria, she is now married and has been tweeting descriptions of her life cooking and cleaning.