Nineteen Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State terror group have arrived home in a high-security, covert extraction that culminated in a violent outburst from one of their handlers as the group was hurried through an airport.
Just one so-called ISIS bride remains in Syria, with The Australian on Tuesday revealing the family of Hodan Abby had recruited a high-profile lawyer to lodge a legal bid overturning an order banning her from entering the country.
No women were charged, but authorities indicated investigations into their activities were ongoing.
Two men transporting members of the Zahab family – who are linked to the Islamic State group – said the women and children were “of course” happy to be home.
The comments were made after the four women and six children were whisked away to Meriton Suites at Mascot, just minutes from Sydney airport.
“We are happy to be safe in our happy country,” the men, believed to be relatives transporting Nesrine, Amina and Sumaya Zahab, told The Australian.
While they were at Meriton, The Australian witnessed a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver dropping off four boxes of pizza to reception of the hotel.
While riot squad police were also seen at the hotel, when the Zahab family departed in a black Kia mini-van they were escorted from the hotel into the underground car park by a woman.
They then drove to the Zahab family home in southwest Sydney where more relatives were waiting as they arrived home.
Earlier, a BMW that is believed to have picked up Hyam Raad was also seen leaving the Meriton.
The Zahab family and Hyam Raad arrived in Sydney with their six children just after 5.30pm, while Kawsar Kanj and Kirsty Rosse-Emile landed in Melbourne with their seven children about an hour prior.
In Sydney, the women were offered NSW government support through which they could ask for health assistance from the Department of Communities and Justice upon arrival.
Riot squad cars were spotted at Sydney Airport ahead of the arrival, and there was a heavy police presence at the international arrivals terminal.
They were escorted off the plane upon their arrival, according to a passenger aboard the Qatar Airways flight, while other passengers waited for them to disembark.
A violent scuffle erupted in Melbourne when Rosse-Emile left the airport through the backdoor and one of her handlers punched a News Corp photographer in the camera, which hit his face. Rosse-Emily was picked up in a waiting BMW 5X.
The remaining Melbourne brides left the airport through side doors. An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said assistance for the cohort leaving the airport in Melbourne was provided as part of a “joint agency operation decision in the interest of airport security”. She did not comment on what assistance was provided in Sydney.
The effort to bring back the cohort from the al-Roj detention camp was spearheaded by former lawyer and humanitarian campaigner Robert Van Aalst, who The Australian revealed as the mastermind behind the successful repatriations.
Mr Van Aalst was also seen leaving the airport in Melbourne on Tuesday night.
Nesrine left Sydney aged 21 but maintains she did not knowingly enter Syria but was taken into ISIS territory when trying to deliver aid to refugees in 2015.
She later married Australian-born jihadist Ahmed Merhi but claims it was a means of survival.
Sumaya, a mother of three, is the sister of former Sydney maths teacher Muhammad Zahab, who joined ISIS and was killed in a 2018 air strike.
Amina is the mother of Sumaya and Muhammad Zahab. She has expressed regret about following her son to Syria.
Rosse-Emile, who has two children, previously lived in Dandenong before travelling to Syria with her husband, Moroccan-born Nabil Kadmiry. Kadmiry later became an Islamic State fighter and was stripped of his Australian citizenship in 2019.
Little is publicly known about Kawsar Kanj and Hyam Raad but they were understood to have multiple children each.
A joint media statement between the NSW and Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Teams on Tuesday night said the cohort were subject to a “range of operational responses” including “the searching of belongings and the downloading of their devices for investigative purposes”.
“Members of the Victoria and NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Teams (JCTT), deployed to Australian airports for a number of arrivals from Syria today,” the statement read.
“Police and the JCTTs will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure community safety is upheld. The safety of our communities remains a priority for all agencies.
“The NSW JCTT comprises the AFP, NSW Police Force, ASIO, and the NSW Crime Commission. The Victoria JCTT comprises the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO.”
The statement also said: “No one arriving within this cohort has been charged, however, investigations into the activities of Australians who travelled to Syria – including those who have since returned – are ongoing.”
The Australian on Tuesday revealed the family of the last ISIS bride to return home was planning an urgent legal bid to overturn a temporary exclusion order banning her from entering the country.
Mother Hodan Abby escaped from her home in western Sydney with a friend when she was 18 years old and was trapped in Kurdish-run camps for year with her daughter, who suffers from shrapnel wounds in her head, hip and back.
She was banned from boarding a flight to Australia with the remaining cohort earlier this week.
Her relatives have engaged Birchgrove legal principal solicitor Moustafa Kheir to challenge the federal government-issued order, which is due to expire in February 2028.
The previous group of returnees arrived earlier this month, when three of four women were arrested and there were chaotic scenes at Melbourne Airport.
In a statement, Mr Burke reiterated the government “has not and will not provide any assistance to this group”.
“These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation,” Mr Burke read. “As we have said many times – any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law. Our world-class law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been preparing for their return since 2014 and have long standing plans in place to manage and monitor them.
“The priority of the government, as always, is the safety of the Australian community.”
The Coalition asked Anthony Albanese during question time on Tuesday whether he would “admit” the repatriation of the women was “all part of the Labor government’s plan”.
“I make three points,” Mr Albanese said.
“I have nothing but contempt for anyone who has any sympathy with ISIS as I hope everyone in this chamber would agree. This should not be partisanship.
“Point two, the government has provided no assistance for these people.
“Point three, any breaches of the law will mean these people will face the full force of the law, to the extent available, upon the advice of the security agencies.”