- Welsh capital has been linked to string of cases linked to extremist violence
- Three young men have fled to Syria from the city to fight with Isis
- Brothers and a sister jailed for involvement in plot to bomb London in 2012
- Student who posted jihad video under name 'Father of Terrorism' in court
This map reveals how Cardiff has become a hotbed for extremism where a string of young Muslims have been inspired to launch jihad in Syria, Iraq and also in the UK.
The father of two radicals says the Welsh capital is facing a crisis with extremists leafleting communities and holding 'pop-up' events to groom young men.
At least three students brought up in Cardiff have fallen under their spell and fled to fight with other extremists from Isis in the past year. Two appeared in a video encouraging others to join them.
But the latest shocking case involving Reyaad Khan, 20, and brothers Nasser Muthana, 20, and 17-year-old Aseel is not the first time the city has had links to jihad.
In 2012 Cardiff brothers Gurukanth Desai, and Abdul Miah, were jailed along with Omar Latif, also from the city, for plotting Mumbai-style attacks in Britain.
Cardiff cases: The Welsh capital has had links in recent years to terror plots and now had three young men fighting for Isis in Syria and Iraq
They had planned a Christmas bombing campaign with targets including the London Stock Exchange, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.
The gang was made up of men from all over the UK, but the majority were from Cardiff.
The cell met in the city's Roath Park to discuss the mass murder not realising they were being watched by the security services.
In one exchange on November 7 2010 undercover police heard one member mention bombs before saying: ‘If you don’t attack them, they are going to attack you. You know we have got to go for a place that is worldwide remembered.’
Their sister Ruksana Begum, 22, who has a first-class degree in accountancy, was later jailed because she had two editions of Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine on her phone, including articles such as 'Targeting the populations of countries that are at war with the Muslims'.
Ms Begum, who lived in Cardiff with her family prior to her marriage, was sentenced to one year in prison, having pleaded guilty in December 2012 to possessing material which was likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Ms Begum, of north London, appeared with only her eyes visible beneath a black veil to be sentenced after being remanded in Holloway prison.
Brothers: Gurukanth Desai, 30, left and Abdul Malik Miah, 25, were among nine men, the majority from Cardiff who admitted plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange and other targets during a Christmas bomb blitz
Surveillance: This meeting in Cardiff park led to the convictions of the men because one mentioned bombs and said: 'If you don't attack them, they are going to attack you. You know we have got to go for a place that is worldwide remembered'
This month Muslim student Khuram Iqbal, 21, who allegedly posted a series of links to extremist videos on his Facebook and Twitter pages and called himself the 'Father of Terrorism' appeared in court.
The father of the brothers in Syria, Ahmed Muthana, 57, said extremists are leafleting Muslim communities in the Welsh capital encouraging young men to join the jihad in Syria and Iraq.
He also said the recruitment meetings are never held in the same venue twice to avoid being infiltrated by anti-terrorist police.
Mr Muthana says one of the meetings was held in the Channel View Leisure Centre in the Grangetown area of Cardiff - after being rented out by the Labour-run council.
Father-of-four Mr Muthana said: 'I believe my two sons went to one of these meetings and now they are with the Isis people in Syria.
'They never hold these meetings in the same place twice - they know what they are doing.
'I know they had a meeting at Channel View, there have been others in restaurants and in private homes.
'They just book a room at these places saying it is for a private function.
'It is like one of these pop-up restaurants. They are there for a few hours and then they move on.'
Mr Muthana added: 'Some of the venues have been restaurants and businesses run by people sympathetic to the extremists.'
He believes the five young men from Cardiff, including his two middle sons Nasser, 20, and Aseel, 17, were recruited this way last year before being flown out to Syria with their travel expenses paid for.
Two of the five young men who went out to Syria have since returned - one after his parents flew to the Middle East to bring him home.
Mr Muthana said: 'I have two plane tickets waiting for my sons to get them home but I don't think they will ever be used.'
The distraught father suffered a heart attack after learning that his son Aseel had joined his brother Nasser to fight in Syria.
A leading academic said he was convinced young Muslim men in the Welsh capital are being recruited in face-to-face meetings.
Radicalisation expert Dr Suraj Lakhani said: 'The police, government and intelligence services have been concerned about different problems in Cardiff for some time.
'There have also been voices from the local community raising concerns about radicalisations in Cardiff.
'I believe that these boys in the recruitment video would have met face-to-face with the people who have radicalised them.'
Dr Lakhani, of Cardiff University, recently completed his doctorate - A Social Analysis of Radicalisation in the UK.
He said the three young Cardiff men currently fighting in Syria and the two others who have returned would have been radicalised together.
He said: 'It was organised and funded. The youngest boy is only 17 and he flew out on a fake passport.
'His older brother went after borrowing just a hundred pounds from his father.'
Dr Lakhani said there were several reasons why young men may be willing to risk their lives abroad.
'It doesn't take very many people to cause a big problem,' he said.
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