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World
A second group of Australian women and children linked to ISIS has left Roj camp in northeast Syria and may return to Australia.
A second group of Australian women and children linked to the militant group ISIS has left a refugee camp in northeast Syria, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said on Friday, and may eventually return to Australia.
The bus carrying the group departed Roj camp on Thursday under the guard of a convoy of Syrian government officials, ABC said. The group is expected to reach Damascus, but it remains unclear when it may travel on to Australia.
Earlier this month, 4 women and 9 children with links to the extremist group returned to Australia after spending 7 years in detention camps. On arrival, Kawthar Ahmed, 54, and her daughter Zainab Ahmed, 31, were charged with slavery offences, while Janai Safar, 32, faced terrorism charges.
The Australian government had previously ruled out direct help for the return of Australian families linked to the group, but said there were "severe constraints" on stopping citizens from coming back to the country. The return of the women drew criticism, with opponents accusing Australia's centre-left government of failing to prevent their return.
Between 2012 and 2016, some Australian women travelled to Syria to join their husbands, who were suspected members of the group. After the collapse of what the group called its "caliphate" in 2019, many were held in camps, while others returned to the country.
In January, the United States began moving detained ISIS members out of Syria after the collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had guarded several detention facilities holding ISIS fighters and civilians linked to the group, including foreigners.
