A second group of Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State group has departed a refugee camp in north-east Syria and may return to Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday.

ABC said a bus carrying the group left the Al-Roj camp on Thursday afternoon under escort from a convoy of Syrian government officials.

Movement from Al-Roj

The group is expected to reach Damascus, although the broadcaster said it remains unclear when they may travel onwards to Australia.

Australia’s Home Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

The Australian government has previously ruled out providing direct assistance for the return of Australian families linked to ISIS, while acknowledging “very serious limits” on preventing citizens from re-entering the country.

Earlier returns drew charges

The report follows the return earlier this month of four women and nine children linked to ISIS after seven years in detention camps.

After arriving in Australia, Kawsar Ahmad, 54, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were charged with slavery offences, while Janai Safar, 32, faced terror-related charges.

The earlier return drew criticism from opponents who accused Australia’s centre-left government of failing to prevent the repatriations.

Between 2012 and 2016, some Australian women travelled to Syria to join husbands who were allegedly members of ISIS. After the collapse of the group’s caliphate in 2019, many were held in camps, while others returned home.

Read more:

• Australia charges ISIS-linked women with slavery offences after Syria return
• Australian women and children return from Syrian IS detention camps

In January, the U.S. began moving detained members of the Islamic State group out of Syria after the collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had guarded detention facilities holding fighters and affiliated civilians, including foreigners.

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News Australia Syria Isis Terrorism Counterterrorism