Sharmeena Begum arrested in Syria over Berlin Pride attack links

Sharmeena Begum, a 27-year-old British woman, has been arrested in Syria following investigations into a deadly terror attack at Berlin Pride in July. Investigators linked Begum to the attacker, Abdul Ballout, through communication records analyzed by German authorities.

Ballout allegedly sent Begum a video pledging allegiance to ISIS on the day of the attack, during which he drove a van into a crowd and used a machete, resulting in one death and 31 injuries. While Begum is known in jihadist circles and was reportedly intended to pass the video to an ISIS propaganda operative, investigators do not currently believe she planned or directed the specific assault.

Begum, who left the UK for Syria as a teenager in 2014, has long been associated with the radicalization of other British students. Her arrest follows intelligence sharing between German investigators and Western agencies that tracked her to a hideout in Syria.