Claims up to 15 Australian citizens have died fighting in Syria

The number of Australian citizens killed in Syria's civil war is at least 15, double the number previously reported, according to a prominent member of the Syrian community in Australia.

syria_gunman_getty.jpg

A rebel fighter surveils a street holding his gun in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. (Getty)

Jamal Daoud, a Syrian-Australian from the Wikileaks party, claims there is no shortage of Australian support for the Syrian rebels, and he says that that support is being grossly under-reported.

"I got to meet members of Jubat al Nousra...[I] had a big conversation with them about terrorism, suicide bombing and many other things I had in mind," Brisbane man Yahya El Khaled says in one YouTube video.

Jamal Daoud says Yahya El Khaled is one of hundreds of Australians who have been to the frontline.

"We believe the issue is very big and that there is a big network of extremists in Australia, who have established networks overseas," he said.

Travelling to Syria is not illegal, but the Australian Federal Police told SBS it "does not confirm, nor deny who it is or is not investigating, nor does it comment on matters of intelligence".

Australian citizens travelling to Syria and found guilty of foreign incursion-related offences may be imprisoned for up to 20 years under Australian law.

Mr Daoud believes that's a hollow threat.

"Until now the authorities are not taking action," he said. "Not only this, [but] the authorities are still believing their claims that they were only there for humanitarian aid."

But experts say delivering aid can be dangerous.
 
"The concern is that once they're there and taken across the border by rebel fighters, like it or not they becoming involved in the conflict in ways that could be a danger to them and ways that are likely to radicalise them," says global terrorism expert Greg Barton at Monash University.

Terrorism experts say that while the number of Australian citizens fighting and dying in Syria is high, authorities are working closely with the community to close the door on organised recruitment.

But Mr Daoud fears with Australians still travelling to Syria, more will be killed.

There have been three reported deaths of Australian citizens in the last month - Yusuf Ali, his wife Amira and Caner Temel. If those deaths are confirmed, the official number of Australians killed in the Syrian conflict will be eight.


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2 min read

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Updated

By Gary Cox
Source: SBS

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