A Sydney man imprisoned in Syria who claims that he innocently went to Islamic State territory to rescue his family is wanted in Australia and Kuwait over his links to the extremist group.

Key points: The AFP say $500,000 from the sale of Mr Zahab's Sydney home has never been recovered

The AFP say $500,000 from the sale of Mr Zahab's Sydney home has never been recovered Mr Zahab was charged over terrorism-related offences in Kuwait in 2016

Mr Zahab was charged over terrorism-related offences in Kuwait in 2016 He says he only went to Syria to rescue family members

Hicham Zahab had told Syrian television that his children were brainwashed by the IS group and he had never made any trouble during the 40 years he lived in Australia.

"I don't even know where the police station is," said Mr Zahab, speaking from a prison in northern Syria.

But police in Australia were aware of where Mr Zahab lived.

In 2015 the Australian Federal Police (AFP) successfully used proceeds-of-crime legislation against Mr Zahab over the sale of his home at Condell Park in western Sydney.

The AFP said the money from the sale was destined for IS, and at least $500,000 of the sale proceeds was never recovered.

Women and children arrive at a screening point near Baghouz, Syria. ( ABC News: Tom Hancock )

Mr Zahab had already left Sydney for the Middle East along with his daughter, son, wife and other members of his extended family.

It appears he spent time in Kuwait, because in 2016 Kuwaiti prosecutors filed terrorism-related criminal charges against Mr Zahab.

Kuwaiti authorities said the charges were related to supporting and financing terrorism as well as money-laundering and illegally transferring cash from Australia to Kuwait.

Mr Zahab lived in IS's so-called caliphate for at least three years. He was detained by coalition forces near the village of Baghouz in Syria in March, as the surviving members of the extremist group made their last stand.

But in a video recorded in the past week, Mr Zahab says he went to Syria to help his children who'd been "brainwashed" into joining IS by "videos and photos that came out of the Arab world".

"I contacted them and told them that I wanted to come over. They told me to come to Lebanon, then Turkey, then from Gaziantep we crossed into Syria," he said.

"When clashes started, we would withdraw again and again. I have many grandchildren. My eldest son married five and has 13 children. He divorced two and still has three wives. My other son has three wives. I wanted to save these little children if I cannot save the older ones.

"But their mothers wouldn't give me the children so I would move from a region to the other until I got to Baghouz.

"I tried to work with them as a mechanic. But I couldn't work much as I had grandchildren. I couldn't let them down. So sometimes I would work on cars sometimes not.

Mr Zahab says his wife and daughter are now living in the al Hawl camp for IS family members and says he does not know the whereabouts of his youngest son, now aged 14.

"I lost him before I moved to Baghouz and since then I've been searching for him but couldn't find him," he said.

'They would kill each other for houses'

Mr Zahab said he was troubled by some actions of the IS group.

"IS would implement what the Quran said, but with a lot of oppression, wrongdoings, many things I don't agree with," he said.

"They would argue a lot for homes. They would kill each other for houses. I would feel angry about that. If someone had a family and was living in his house. They would kick them out and take the house. There were a lot of wrongdoings. They would even end up sometimes with murder."

"What I ask is to go back home. I wish that."

Hicham Zahab is also related to Haisem Zahab, who was sentenced to nine years jail in June for assisting IS from the NSW town of Young.

Haisem Zahab, 44, pleaded guilty to knowingly providing support or resources to a terrorist organisation. Prosecutors said he'd spent months researching laser-guided weapons on his farm.

The Lowy Institute's Rodger Shanahan says an estimated 105 Australians travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS. Most of them are dead. Four Australians have now spoken from prison in Syria, and it is believed at least three more Australians are being held by Kurdish forces.