Bully 'Waterboarded' Syrian Refugee Classmate in Heartbreaking Playground Attack

Footage has emerged of a 15-year-old boy, thought to be a Syrian refugee, being bullied in a British playground attack by a group of schoolboys who threatened to drown him.

Video of the incident shows the Syrian boy being headbutted, dragged to the floor by his neck and pinned down by his throat. The attacker can then be heard shouting "I'll drown you," while forcing a bottle of water into the victim's mouth.

Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of a victim, causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning.

The Syrian boy, who had in his arm in a cast, eventually freed himself and walked away. None of the students who had witnessed the incident followed him.

The incident reportedly took place on playing fields at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, on October 25.

According to the Daily Mail, the victim is believed to have fled the Syrian city of Homs, which was under siege between 2011 and 2014 following protests against dictator Bashar al-Assad. The boy is said to have moved to Huddersfield two years ago.

West Yorkshire Police have opened an investigation into the incident and have already spoken to a 16-year-old.

"We are investigating a report of a racially aggravated assault of a 15-year-old boy which occurred on playing fields at Almondbury Community School at about 1 p.m. on 25 October," Superintendent Steve Dodds of the force's Kirklees district was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"A 16-year-old boy has been interviewed by voluntary attendance in connection with the incident and we are continuing to progress the investigation."

Footage of the attack has since gone viral on social media and a crowdfunding page to help the victim was set up. The campaign, which names the Syrian boy as Jamal, had raised £37,142 ($47,312) at the time of writing, exceeding its stated target of £35,000.

Barry Sheerman, the member of parliament for Huddersfield, tweeted the video of the incident and described it as "absolutely shocking," before adding he had been in touch with the boy and his family.

"Understand from council that the school have taken strong action," he wrote on Twitter.

"Will be following up to ensure all available support is being given!"

A statement from Kirklees council read: "Neither us nor the school condone violence in any form and behavior like this will not be tolerated."

The stance was echoed by the school's head teacher, Trevor Bowen.

"The safety and welfare of students are of paramount importance to us and this was a very serious incident," he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"We are not able to comment further as we are supporting the police with their investigation but I want to be clear that we do not tolerate unacceptable behavior of any sort in our school."