DUTCH officials announced the withdrawal of government funding for jihadist groups in Syria on Monday, after the foreign minister confirmed that the programme had failed to deliver the expected results.

The Netherlands, working together with other “like-minded donors,” has spent around $80 million (£62m) on programmes to support “moderates” in Syria with the aim of ousting President Bashar al-Assad.

However, Foreign Minister Stef Blok and Minister for Foreign Trade Sigrid Kaag sent a letter yesterday to the lower house of the Dutch parliament announcing the immediate end to support for militants.