Australian authorities say several women with alleged links to the Islamic State group are expected to face criminal charges after returning to Australia from Syria. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says he was informed that four women and nine children had booked flights from Damascus to Australia. Police say the cases are being handled under counterterrorism investigations and that some individuals will be arrested and charged.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says her agency has been investigating Australians who traveled to the Islamic State group’s “caliphate” centered in Syria since 2015. Reporting also indicates arrests have occurred at airports, including in Melbourne and Sydney, involving women described as ISIL-linked. The BBC reports that at least two women are charged with crimes against humanity, and that a third woman who returned from Syria is charged with joining a terrorist organisation.
The sources describe an ongoing process in which authorities assess alleged conduct linked to Islamic State activities and then pursue charges against those who return.
