The parents of a Glasgow girl said to have been promoting terrorism online have condemned her actions, saying they were 'horrified.'

Describing 20-year-old Aqsa Mahmood as a bedroom radical, Khalida and Muzaffar Mahmood said she had betrayed them and the people of Scotland when she married an ISIS fighter in February this year.

In a statement read by lawyer Aamer Anwar, they said she was being used by terrorists.

Aqsa Mahmood has reportedly used a Twitter account under the name Umm Layth to promote militant Islamic terrorism.

It is understood the account has now been deactivated.

It had praised the beheading of Drummer Lee Rigby in south-east London, those responsible for the massacre at Ford Hood in Texas, and the Boston marathon bombers.

The Tweets read: "Follow the examples of your brothers from Woolwich, Texas and Boston. If you cannot make it to the battlefield, then bring the battlefield to yourself."

The 20-year-old also posted pictures of the Islamic State terror group's flag and of unidentified veiled figures said to include the Canadian widow of a jihadi fighter.

It was reported that Miss Mahmood went to Syria last November.

In a statement issued through police, her family said: "We had no knowledge of our daughter's plans to leave Scotland and immediately reported her as a missing person to the Police.

"Aqsa is a studious and ambitious girl and we cannot understand why she has travelled to Syria. We're strugg-ling to come to terms with the situation."

Mahmood attended the private Craig-holme School and state school Shaw-lands Academy.

Police yesterday stepped up patrols near her family home in Dumbreck amid fears of a backlash from right-wing thugs, and confirmed they are "supporting"her family.

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries are ongoing in relation to her whereabouts and we are supporting her family."

Dr Muhammad Kausar, president of Glasgow Central Mosque, said, as far as he knew, Miss Mahmood had never been to the mosque.

He said: "We issued a statement on Friday advising people not to go to Syria. If they want to do something, they should give to humanitarian charities.

"I am shocked to hear of this."

A spokeswoman for Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he received "regular briefings from Police Scotland on a range of issues" but could not confirm details.

Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, from Glasgow, said: "Individuals do go out to Syria on human-itarian missions, it does not mean they are going out as jihadists."