Intelligence agencies estimate 70 Australians are fighting with Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra and 20 have returned home

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

About 20 Australians have been killed while fighting for extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, according to the latest government estimates.



Australian intelligence agencies said in August that they believed about 60 Australians were fighting with Islamic State (Isis) and Jabhat al-Nusra in the conflicts, and 15 had been killed.

The attorney general, George Brandis, said the government was now “aware of around 20 Australians who have died in the conflict in Syria and Iraq”. The government believes about 70 Australians remain in the conflict zones and more than 20 people have returned home.

In comments published by the Australian newspaper on Tuesday, Brandis said the number of deaths had risen in ­recent weeks “with several Aus­tralians understood to have died in fighting against government forces, including in Kobane”.

Brandis said Isis was using western recruits “as frontline cannon fodder, suicide bombers and propaganda tools”.

“Australian youths, and many young men and women from Western countries, are being lured by the falsehood of a noble battle against an oppressive enemy,” Brandis told the newspaper.

“In reality, they are merely taking part in acts of thoughtless violence, in many cases against innocent civilians, on behalf of Isil [Isis], which is intent on recklessly enslaving, raping and murdering those with a contrary view to their own.”

The Australian government has passed a series of changes to counter-terrorism laws, including provisions allowing the creation of international “no go zones”.

Australians face a jail term of up to 10 years in jail for entering or remaining in one of those zones unless solely there for a legitimate purpose specified in legislation. Last week, the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, declared the first no-go zone was Al-Raqqa province in Syria.

Parliament has also approved legal changes specifically enabling the Australian Secret Intelligence Service to assist the Australian defence force in support of military operations and cooperate on intelligence. The ADF is participating in coalition airstrikes against Isis targets in Iraq and has also provided special forces to “advise and assist” the Iraqi army.