Abdul Waheed Majeed, 'UK's First Suicide Bomber In Syria', Pictured Smiling With Local Children

Is This The UK's First Suicide Bomber In Syria?

Looking relaxed and smiling with local children, this man could be any one of the numerous aid workers helping in war-torn Syria.

But this is the man suspected to be Britain's first suicide bomber in the country.

The images were sent by Abdul Waheed Majeed, 41, from Syria to his family in the Langley Green area of Crawley, West Sussex.

Abdul Waheed Majeed at a refugee camp on the border of Turkey and Syria (exact location not known)

In one picture, he is seen wearing pink Minnie Mouse-style ears while he cuddles a child. In another, he is pictured kneeling surrounded by children as they give the peace sign.

The pictures were taken at a refugee camp on the Turkey/Syria border, according to Arif Syed, 59, a community leader in Crawley, where Majeed was born.

Married father of three Majeed is suspected of driving a lorry into a jail in Aleppo and detonating a bomb last week.

Officials have not confirmed the identity of the bomber

Officials have not confirmed the identity of the bomber amid reports that a UK jihadi, who used the name Abu Suleiman al-Britani, carried out the bombing.

Counter-terrorism officers have searched Majeed's home in Martyrs Avenue, which is also the ex-home of schoolgirl Sarah Payne's killer Roy Whiting, according to neighbours.

Majeed, known as Waheed, left Britain six months ago, telling his family he was going on a humanitarian mission to Syria.

Reports are that a UK jihadi, who used the name Abu Suleiman al-Britani, carried out the bombing

Syed said Majeed would phone or Skype his family every three days, but communication was lost with him about nine days ago.

When news emerged about the suicide bombing in Syria, the family of Majeed - who is of Pakistani descent - started to panic, he added.

Majeed's uncle, Mohammad Jamil, 65, said Majeed - who is a father of two boys and a girl aged 18, 16 and 12 - had never shown any sign of extremism.

But this week extremist preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed told the London Evening Standard that Majeed was "a very dear brother".

He claimed Majeed had been an active student and valued member of the banned extremist Al-Muhajiroun organisation between 1996 and 2004 and had wanted to further the "Muslim cause".

Bakri said Majeed would organise his sermons in Crawley and record the lectures and distribute them.

He said: "He was a good brother. He was someone who was always at hand to help people.

"He wanted to study Islam and wanted to know what it was to be a good Muslim. He was also very interested in the issue of how we could establish an Islamic state."

Five searches were carried out in the Crawley area and all were completed yesterday, a police spokeswoman said.

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