What we know about the ISIS-linked Australian families in Syria
Four Australian women and their children, linked to Islamic State through family members, left the Al Roj camp in Syria last week aiming to reach Damascus and return home, but were blocked by Syrian authorities citing Australian government rhetoric. The group includes three generations of the same family, with ties to a former Australian aid worker suspected of supporting ISIS. Their current status remains uncertain as they are unable to return to Australia and face ongoing challenges in Syria.
- ▪Kawsar Abbas, 54, from Melbourne, is the wife of Mohammed Ahmad, who ran a charity suspected of funding Islamic State.
- ▪Zahra Ahmed, 33, is the widow of Muhammad Zahab, a notorious Islamic State recruiter who died in an airstrike in 2018.
- ▪Zeinab Ahmed, 31, has publicly expressed concerns about the safety of children in Syrian camps and has appealed to the Australian government for help.
- ▪The group left the Al Roj camp with hopes of flying home, but Syrian authorities prevented them from reaching the airport.
- ▪Mohammed Ahmad claimed in 2019 that he and his family were trapped in Syria after attending a family wedding and denied being an ISIS supporter.
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What we know about the ISIS-linked Australian families in Syria By correspondent Bridget Rollason in Jerusalem, Cherine Yazbeck and Baderkhan AhmadTopic:Refugees12m ago12 minutes agoFri 1 May 2026 at 7:41pmA group of Australian families left the Al Roj camp in Syria last week. (ABC News: Baderkhan Ahmad)abc.net.au/news/who-are-the-australians-from-al-roj-isis-camp-in-syria/106629466Link copiedShareShare articleFour Australian women, their children and grandchildren are stuck in limbo in Syria after leaving a refugee camp housing family members of suspected Islamic State fighters.Last week the group left the Al Roj camp in north-east Syria with the goal of heading to the capital, Damascus, and flying home to Australia.But after Syrian authorities said they prevented the group from reaching…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).