Six ISIS-linked Australian women, children return after escaping Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A group of six Australian women, along with their children, has successfully returned to Australia after years of being stranded in Syria, an Australian news website reported on Friday.
The women, who had traveled or been taken to Syria as partners of ISIS members, managed to escape the country and were detained briefly in Beirut for not having valid visas or entry records, ABC Australia said.
According to the report, Lebanese authorities held the group before processing them. They underwent security and DNA checks by Australian officials, who had been monitoring their whereabouts for some time.
The women and children were issued Australian passports and returned to Australia following this process.
While the Australian government did not facilitate their escape, the return had been anticipated, as it was believed that some members of the group might attempt to return on their own. The government continues to monitor the individuals closely as they reintegrate back into society.
This development highlights the complex issue of Australian nationals linked to ISIS, many of whom are still detained in foreign conflict zones.
In recent years, Australia has faced pressure to repatriate dozens of its citizens linked to ISIS and held in detention camps in northeast Syria.
Early in September, Australian local media reported that more than a dozen women, children, and young men are expected to be evacuated from Roj Camp and sent to Australia’s New South Wales and Victoria before Christmas in a secret operation.