A woman linked to a July attack at Berlin’s Pride parade has been arrested in Syria following an investigation by German authorities. Sharmeena Begum, 27, a former schoolfriend of Shamima Begum at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, is alleged to have communicated with Abdul Ballout, the assailant who drove a van into the crowd, killing one woman and injuring 29 others.

Ballout, 21, also attacked people with a machete before being shot and killed by police during a raid the day after the attack. German officials believe he had attempted twice to join the Islamic State (IS) group and had sent a video to Sharmeena Begum containing footage of him pledging allegiance to IS.

Sharmeena Begum travelled to Syria in 2014 when she was 15, shortly after IS took control of parts of northern and eastern Syria, including regions where hostages such as American journalist James Foley were killed. Her radicalisation reportedly intensified following the death of her mother from cancer and her father’s subsequent remarriage, after which she moved in with her grandmother and became increasingly devoted to religious beliefs.

Three months after her departure, three of her schoolmates—Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana, and Amira Abase—also left London to cross into Syria and join IS. All four teenagers were reportedly married to fighters affiliated with the group.

Like Shamima Begum, Sharmeena Begum was subsequently stripped of her British citizenship. However, unlike her former schoolfriend, she has not publicly renounced her ties to IS. Following the collapse of IS’s territorial control, she was believed to be held at the Al-Hol detention camp in northeastern Syria before reportedly escaping.

In 2023, an undercover investigation by a journalist found that Sharmeena Begum had been involved in fundraising activities, with the proceeds reportedly sent to IS. Her recent arrest underscores ongoing concerns about the presence and influence of IS sympathizers in the region and their potential links to international attacks.