DHAKA: A British surgeon, imprisoned in Syria for over a year, has died in detention his family has told the BBC.

Dr Abbas Khan, a 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from Streatham, south London, travelled to the city of Aleppo last year to help civilians.

His brother Afroze said the Syrian security agency had promised his release this week but on Monday it said he had died.

The UK Foreign Office said it was ‘extremely concerned’ by reports.

Khan, 34, said, ‘My brother was going to be released at the end of the week. We were given assurance by the Syrian government’.

‘My brother knew that. He was ready to come back home.’

‘He was happy and looking forward to being released.’

He added, ‘We are devastated, distraught and we are angry at the Foreign Office for dragging their feet for 13 months’.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said, ‘We are extremely concerned by reports that a British national has died in detention in Syria’.

‘We are urgently seeking clarification of this from the Syrian authorities.’

BDST: 1744 HRS, DEC 17, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor