Three women linked to the Islamic State (IS) group have been arrested after returning to Australia following years spent in detention camps in Syria. Australian authorities confirmed that the women, all Australian citizens, arrived with a group that also included nine children.
Kawsar Abbas, 53, and Zeinab Ahmed, 31, were arrested upon arrival in Melbourne, while Janai Safar, 32, was taken into custody after landing in Sydney. A fourth woman travelling with the group was not arrested.
The return of the women has reignited political debate in Australia over how to handle former IS members and their families who remained stranded in Syria after the collapse of the so-called caliphate in 2019. Australian officials said the government did not arrange the repatriation but had long prepared for the possibility of their return.
The children, believed to be between six years old and their mid-teens, will receive psychological support and undergo assessments related to possible radicalisation.
The group had been living in the al-Roj detention camp in north-eastern Syria for several years. Among them was Kawsar Abbas, whose husband Mohammad Ahmad had previously been investigated by Australian authorities over allegations that a charity was used to channel funds to Islamic State fighters. He denied the accusations.
The woman who was not arrested is believed to be Zahra Ahmed, the widow of alleged IS recruiter Muhammad Zahab, who was killed in an airstrike in 2018.
Janai Safar, a former nursing student from Sydney, travelled to Syria in 2015 and reportedly married an IS fighter. In previous media interviews, she said she feared being arrested if she ever returned to Australia.
Australian police said some of the women could face terrorism-related charges, including entering or remaining in areas controlled by Islamic State, as well as possible crimes against humanity offences.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described the women’s decision to join the extremist group as “a horrific choice” and said anyone found to have committed crimes would face legal consequences.
Australia’s intelligence agencies said the returnees would be closely monitored, although officials stated there was no immediate threat to national security.
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