Jihadists from Walsall 'are on secret RAF hit list of ISIS targets'

Sajid Aslam, Musadikur Rohaman, and his wife Zohura Sidekka, all from Walsall, are believed to be under the radar after fleeing the West Midlands for the war-torn country, according to a well-placed source.

National media has reported RAF pilots have been secretly assassinating British jihadists plotting UK terror attacks from bases in Syria and Iraq.

Using drones and fighter jets, they have been working their way through a 'kill list' of key targets.

A military source told the Express & Star he expected the list to include those who joined Islamic State from the Black Country.

He said: "There is no reason why they would not be on such a hit list.

"The British government is clear that those who join so-called Islamic State are aiding and abetting terrorist threats in the UK. That would make them targets."

Around a dozen Muslims from Walsall either succeeded in travelling to Syria or tried to do so in 2014 as part of a plot to smuggle children and pregnant women into the so-called caliphate.

Three are known to have been killed fighting – vicar's son Jake Petty, his friend Isaiah Siadatan, and Abul Hasan.

And three are still believed to be alive.

Sajid Aslam, aged 34, of Glebe Street, is still at large but claims to be teaching refugees children in Turkey and has had a number of contacts via email with the Express & Star confessing his innocence.

But one of the country's top judges said Aslam 'plainly' got to the so-called Islamic State and fought.

He was one of the first to get to Syria from Walsall. Musadikur Rohaman and his wife Zohura Siddeka, both 27 at the time of travel, also made it to Raqqa after fleeing Castle Road in Walsall Wood.

Musadikur was injured fighting for the fundamentalists in a drone attack by US air troops and Zohura gave birth to a baby boy. They have told their family they want to return to the UK.

In a statement, the MoD said: "We and our coalition partners have been clear that if you are fighting for Daesh (Islamic State) in Iraq and Syria then you will be targeted, irrespective of nationality.

"The UK is committed to the defeat of Daesh and publishes regular updates on air strikes conducted by the RAF."

UK intelligence agencies are helping to find other British jihadists, who expose their locations when they use mobile phones.

Seven people from Walsall were convicted of Syria-related terrorism offences last year..