The product of religious education in a Pakistan madrassa:

A would-be suicide bomber aged 11 has been arrested alongside Taliban fighters.

Known only as Abdullah, the youngster was caught crossing the mountains from Pakistan’s tribal region into Afghanistan wearing a jacket packed with explosives.

Police say he is the youngest terror recruit they have ever come across. Abdullah has also become Afghanistan’s youngest prisoner but he is still being held at a top security prison in the capital, Kabul.

Originally from Peshawar in Pakistan, Abudullah was training to be a suicide bomber and had learned the principles of jihad – holy war – at the religious school in Pakistan where he was taught.

Mr Neely said Abdullah’s days were spent reading the Koran and his evenings were taken up learning how to load weapons and how foreigners came to Muslim lands to kill them.

Abdullah’s younger brother Amin, 10, is also a student at the same school.

It is not yet clear what authorities will do with the boy but it is likely he will be returned back to his religious school.

That last sentence is rather startling.