Three women arrested as ‘ISIS brides’ return from Syria

Three women person been arrested arsenic a radical of Islamic State-linked families touched down successful Australia to look a media storm.

Two women, aged 53 and 31, were arrested connected accomplishment astatine Melbourne airdrome connected Thursday by counter-terrorism officers, the Australian Federal Police said. A third woman, aged 32, was arrested upon arriving astatine Sydney airport.

A total of 4 women and 9 children arrived successful Sydney and Melbourne connected Thursday evening aft years spent successful a Syrian exile camp.

The 14-hour Qatar Airways formation to Melbourne from Doha landed astir 5.30pm pursuing a abbreviated delay.

Passengers were greeted by a strong media contingent, with reporters and television cameras gathered successful the planetary arrivals hall.

A radical of men dressed successful achromatic besides seemingly waited for the Melbourne contingent to look but did not reply questions from reporters.

One man, who was connected the aforesaid level arsenic the women from Doha, said helium did not announcement immoderate disturbances during the flight.

Asked astir the women, helium said helium had lone work astir them connected Instagram.

“We are not ISIS brides,” 1 woman said aft arriving connected an earlier formation from Christchurch.

“What celebrated idiosyncratic is coming? Maybe I request to bent around,” 1 antheral said.

Meanwhile, the 1 “bride” who arrived successful Sydney was escorted disconnected the level by uniformed officers earlier immoderate different passengers were allowed to leave, radical arriving astatine Sydney Airport told reporters.

She was arrested and taken to Mascot Police Station, an AFP spokesperson said.

Many of those arriving connected the Qatar Airways formation to Sydney did not cognize why they were being welcomed by such a ample media battalion but reported seeing uniformed officers extracurricular the level when it landed.

The aviator made an announcement aft landing asking radical to stay successful their seats and the level was stopped for astir 10 minutes earlier anyone was capable to leave, 1 rider told AAP.

“Who’s connected the plane?” Sathvik Chatakondu said.

While the women look the imaginable of lengthy ineligible proceedings, uncertainty still surrounds however the children will beryllium integrated into a wholly alien society.

Some women travelled willingly to support their partners who wanted to combat for Islamic State, but advocates for the radical accidental others were trafficked oregon lone went to the Middle East to support their household together.

All children successful the radical of 13 returning location would apt request assistance integrating into Australian society aft years successful Syrian camps, while others could request much intensive de-radicalisation support, starring extremism researcher Michele Grossman told AAP.

“This is going to beryllium very overmuch lawsuit by case,” the Deakin University prof said.

“We can’t marque assumptions that each children will respond arsenic … to the kinds of indoctrination activities that we cognize person gone connected successful those camps.”

Support from the assemblage would beryllium important to assistance them retrieve from years of trauma, Prof Grossman said.

“If the assemblage is lone ever going to turn them distant and garbage to person thing to bash with them … then what anticipation are you giving them, and what prospects are you offering them?” she said.

The radical of women and children are each Australian citizens and authorities ministers person said there are nary measures that tin stop their return.

The premiers of some NSW and Victoria said the children returning to their states would undertake deradicalisation programs and the information of their communities was paramount.

One woman has been barred from entering Australia connected nationalist information grounds and the absorption has reiterated its calls for the full radical to beryllium blocked.

The radical forms portion of a larger cohort of astir 30 women and children who person been trying to instrumentality from Syria for years aft the 2019 toppling of Islamic State.