Australia Arrests 3 Women With Alleged IS Links After Return From Syria

Edited by: Rana Taha

Australian authorities arrested three women who arrived at Sydney and Melbourne airports after flying back from Syria where they had allegedly supported fighters from the so-called “Islamic State” (IS), police said.

The women, aged 31, 32 and 53, are all Australian citizens. They have spent the last few years in refugee camps in Syria after the downfall of IS.

Another woman who was travelling with the group was not arrested. According to reports, nine children were also among the groups flying back to Australia.

Women welcomed by security and reporters

Police said ahead of the arrivals that the women could be charged with “terrorism offences” after travelling to a banned area, as well as “crimes against humanity offences such as engaging in slave trading.”

The groups of returnees were greeted by black-clad security personnel as well as throngs of journalists.

Heavily-armed police officers were present to supervise the escorting of the women and children past the reporters to a minibus, the Australian public broadcaster ABC said.

Australia not keen for return of citizens from Syria

Australia, as well as countries like the UK and Canada, has been reluctant to bring back its citizens who traveled to Syria to support IS.

Australian officials said they would not help IS-connected individuals to return, but also could not stop them.

Some 21 Australians are still believed to be in the Al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria, according to ABC.

One of the returning women told the broadcaster she was looking forward to being back in Australia.

“We just want our children to be safe. It was like hell [in Syria] for them,” she told ABC in Doha Airport before boarding the flight to Melbourne.

Australian law considered travel to the former Syrian IS stronghold of Raqqa without a legitimate reason between 2014 and 2017 illegal.

Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.