Terrorist brothers who wanted to 'become martyrs' for Isis in Syria practiced with paintballing

Two brothers with their “hearts set” on joining Isis used paintballing to prepare for combat alongside the terrorist group, a court heard.

Yousif Alsyed, 18, sent an encrypted message saying he wanted to “become a martyr” in Syria or Libya before his school raised the alarm.

Together with his older brother Ahmed, 20, he was part of a group of at least five teenagers accused of supporting Isis, Woolwich Crown Court in east London, heard.

Ahmed, of west London, was jailed for four-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to the collection of terrorist information, preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications at a previous hearing.

Yousif, who admitted the preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications, will be sentenced at a later date.

"It is patent to me that the brothers' intention, once they had joined the terrorist group, was to fight alongside it as they had invested time in training in the UK, including spending time at a paintballing camp and joining a gym," said Commander Clarke Jarrett, of London's Metropolitan Police after the hearing

"The brothers shared with each other gory videos and images glorifying Daesh," he added They had their hearts set on joining their fight but our investigation stopped them."

Footage recovered from Ahmed's phone showed him posing wearing combat fatigues and making a hand gesture associated with Isis at the paintball camp in Cobham, Surrey.

"This is a message to everyone,” he told the camera. "If we do not come back safe and sound, look after our families."