French girl nabbed before leaving for Syria war

French authorities arrested a French girl, 14, who was about to travel to Turkey on her way to join the foreign-backed armed insurgency against the Syrian government. Jean-Yves Kokia, the Prosecutor of Grenoble city, told AFP that her parents have informed the French authorities about her travel plans after sending them a text message explaining that their daughter intends to leave France to join foreign-backed militants in Syria. According to initial information obtained in the investigations, the girl purchased a one-way ticket to Turkey, after withdrawing money from her bank account. She wanted to leave France from an airport in Lyon and destined for a Turkish airport, Kokia said. According to the report, the suspect has ruled out any decision to join the militants in Syria. In January, two teenage schoolboys left France to fight against the Syrian government and funded the trip using one of their father's credit cards. The pair are just 15-years-old and from the Southwestern city of Toulouse. Their families claim they have been brainwashed on the Internet. The news comes as France is increasingly concerned about the number of French nationals joining the foreign-sponsored war effort in Syria. A recent British defense study showed that about 100,000 militants, fragmented into 1,000 groups, are fighting in Syria against the government and people. Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, western powers and their regional allies - especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey - are supporting the militants operating inside the country.