But the fact that a British doctor was recruited to the cause — someone who previously made his living caring for people — has proved especially galling for some. But two years ago, according to an investigation by the BBC, he left his prestigious job — and wife and two children — in Sheffield, England, to fight on the battlefields in Syria, becoming the first known British doctor to join the Islamic State. British officials estimate more than 800 people with U.K. links have traveled to Syria or Iraq to join radical Islamist groups. LONDON — Issam Abuanza was a doctor, working for Britain's National Health Service for seven years. A British citizen of Palestinian heritage, he worked in several hospitals in the United Kingdom, specializing in endocrinology, the study of hormones.

Source: Washington Post May 25, 2016 11:56 UTC