Australian woman linked to Islamic State charged with terror offences

An Australian woman who returned home in September from a Syrian refugee camp has been charged with allegedly joining Islamic State and entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone, authorities said on Thursday.



The 34-year-old travelled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with others, including a man, to allegedly join Islamic State, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement. The man is believed to be in a prison in the Middle East, the AFP added.



The woman is expected to appear in a Melbourne court on Thursday. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.



Kurdish forces detained the woman in March 2019 and she was held with family members in the Al-Hawl refugee camp. Police said she returned to Australia from Lebanon with another woman, 36, and that investigations into both women were ongoing.



The charges follow the return earlier this month of two women charged with slavery-related offences and a third with terror offences, including allegedly joining Islamic State. A second group of Australian women and children arrived on Tuesday from a Syrian camp with no charges laid on arrival.