British Islamic State jihadists hit with UN sanctions

Four British extremists fighting for Islamic State in Syria have been placed under international sanctions at the request of the UK government.

Two men: Omar Hussain from High Wycombe and Nasser Muthana from Cardiff, and two women: Aqsa Mahmood from Glasgow and Sally-Anne Jones from Kent, have been added to the official UN sanctions list.

The four jihadists will face asset freezes and a global travel ban, with the government hoping the sanctions will act as a deterrent to Britons considering joining the group.

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"It sends a very clear signal we will absolutely take action against those people who have gone to fight for IS and will threaten our country," a senior government official said.

Police estimate that at least 700 Britons have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight for the terrorist group. At least half of them have since returned to the country, according to the BBC.

Evidence was provided by the British government and intelligence services that the four Britons were "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities related to IS".

Hussein, a former Morrison's security guard, had threatened to bomb the UK and behead British citizens and is believed to be fighting alongside 20-year old Muthana in Raqqa.

Glasgow student Aqsa Mahmood travelled to Syria to marry an IS fighter in 2013, telling her parents she would rather die there than return to Scotland. She has also been accused of recruiting three schoolgirls to join the terrorist group.

The final person on the sanctions list is mother-of-two and former punk rock musician Sally-Anne Jones, who has threatened to "behead Christians with a blunt knife".

It is understood to be the first time any country has put its own citizens on the list in connection with the fight against IS, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The government has also announced plans to set up a £10 million counter-propaganda unit to challenge Islamic State's attempts to recruit new fighters in Britain.