Iraq News

5 Australians stripped of citizenship over ISIS links

Five people have been stripped of their Australian citizenship for fighting alongside the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, AFP reported Thursday (August 9th).

They join notorious ISIS fighter Khaled Sharrouf -- who made headlines when he posted a Twitter image of his young son holding a severed head -- as the only nationals to be kicked out under tougher anti-terror laws.

"I can confirm that five more individuals have ceased to be Australian citizens because of their involvement with [ISIS] offshore," home affairs minister Peter Dutton said in a statement.

The five are all aged in their 20s and 30s. Dutton provided no further details on their identities.

Canberra has become increasingly concerned about Australian nationals returning home after fighting alongside ISIS abroad and has passed a series of tougher national security laws in recent years.

Sharrouf, the first Australian national stripped of his passport for ISIS links, was also a Lebanese citizen.

He left Australia for Syria in 2013 with his family.

His Australian wife Tara Nettleton, who went with him, has since died and Sharrouf was believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Iraq in 2015.

Later media reports cast doubt on whether he was dead. The fate of their five children remains unknown.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500