British man who tried to join Daesh Takfiri terrorist organization in Syria gets six years

This image shows a masked British member of the Daesh terrorist organization who beheaded a number of captives before he was killed in a drone strike in Raqqah, Syria. (file photo)

A British court has handed a 6-year jail sentence to a man who aimed to travel to Syria to join the Daesh Takfiri terrorist organization.

Ghulam Hussain, 31, from Batley, West Yorkshire, confessed telling an undercover police officer he intended to join Daesh.

Hussain, who is of Pakistani origin, paid the undercover officer for accommodation during his journey, telling the undercover agent that he would rather die than return to the UK.

The undercover police officer made audio and video recordings of their talks.

"It was your intention to go abroad, it was your intention to take up arms and to kill, and you did encourage the undercover officer to do the same as you,” Judge Peter Collier told the defendant in court, adding, "You did have a commitment to travel to Syria, to join Daesh, to fight and give your life."

Hussain was convicted for two offenses under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

Ghulam Hussain (file photo)

Firstly, he engaged in conduct in preparation for committing an act of terrorism, and secondly, he engaged in conduct with the intention of assisting another person to commit an act of terrorism.

In addition, Hussain was convicted of fraud for obtaining credit cards by providing false details of employment and income.

British Prime Minister Theresa May  warned last month that the MI5 and other intelligence agencies had been monitoring 3,000 individuals across the country who were assessed as posing the biggest terrorist threat to the UK.

London's British Pakistani Mayor Sadiq Khan said last year he believed the threat of terror attacks were “part and parcel of living in a big city” and encouraged Londoners to be vigilant to combat dangers.