The smiling ISIS bride who has just walked free after touching down in Australia – following years begging to be rescued from Syrian refugee camp

Four women linked to ISIS fighters arrived in Australia on Thursday night, but only one smiled as she left the international terminal a free woman.

Zahra Ahmad, a mother of three, was attacked as she left a Melbourne international terminal with a man and a group of children.

He landed in Melbourne around 17.30 with his mother Kawsar Abbas (53) and sister Zeinab Ahmed (31). Three women traveled with eight children.

Shortly afterwards, at around 5.45pm, another woman, Janai Safar, 32, and her nine-year-old son, traveling from the al-Roj refugee camp in north-east Syria, landed in Sydney.

Three of the four women were arrested shortly after landing.

Janai Safar was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with entering or staying in declared areas and being a member of a terrorist organization. Each crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Kawsar Abbas will face charges of enslavement, slave use and slave trade. Zeinab Ahmed will be charged with slavery and slave use.

But Zahra Ahmad was allowed to walk freely and was shielded from the media by a group of large men dressed in black as she left Melbourne Airport on a shuttle bus.

Ms Ahmad was seen hugging her youngest son tightly as she left Melbourne Airport on Thursday night.

He had his youngest son with him.

Seven-year-old Ibrahim wore a gray hoodie and a spiderman backpack.

His other children, 12-year-old Omar and his 14-year-old brother Mohammed, did not walk with him.

Ms Ahmad’s family traveled to Syria from their home in north Melbourne in 2014.

Although the circumstances of their trip are disputed, it is largely reported that they visited the area for a wedding.

However, Ms Ahmad told SBS in an interview in 2024 that the ‘male influencers’ in her family decided to stay and join ISIS when they arrived.

He claims that he did not want to join a terrorist organization but was forced to do so by his family. “I did not make this bed,” Ms. Ahmad said in 2024.

‘We now have to suffer because of decisions that other people, other male influencers, have made on our behalf, and now that’s all gone and we have to suffer along with our children.’

Zahra Ahmad (left) was the only one of four ISIS brides who was not arrested on arrival in Australia

Ms Ahmed’s two eldest sons (12-year-old Omar and 14-year-old Mohammed) were not with her at the airport

Ms Ahmad was married to Mohammed Zahab, a notorious member of the Islamic State who was killed in a 2018 airstrike.

She and other Australian women and children with links to ISIS were moved to Al Roj refugee camp in 2019.

Young boys were separated from their mothers and sent to adult prisons.

Ms. Ahmad shared her concern that her eldest son would soon be taken away from her and transferred to a prison in 2024.

Like Australian teenager Yusuf Zahab, who was sent to adult prison at age 15, he feared he would be lost permanently if he entered the system.

Mr Zahab was smuggled into ISIS territory from Australia when he was 12 and separated from his mother and sister during the fall of Baghouz in 2019.

He will turn 23 this year and although he has not been charged with any crime, he remains in custody. He is currently believed to be held in Iraq.

In refugee camps, 10-year-old boys are taken from their mothers and imprisoned.

Zahra Ahmad married an ISIS fighter seen in Roj refugee camp

Two people arrested in Melbourne along with family carrying young children with group returning from Syria

Large black-clad men guarded a woman who was allowed to move freely from the media

He got into a waiting minibus while the media group surrounded the vehicle.

From her tent in Roj in 2024, Ms Ahmad pleaded with Australian authorities to be allowed to return home.

He was afraid that his two eldest children would be kidnapped at night.

“If they take them away from me, I may never see them again,” Ms. Ahmad said.

‘I can’t let this happen to my children. They are innocent. They did nothing wrong.

‘I don’t believe they should be punished for something they had nothing to do with.’

Mohammed was well aware of the consequences of birthdays in the camp.

‘I’m a big kid. “I don’t want to leave my mother,” said the boy, who was 12 at the time.

Although Ms Ahmad did not speak to reporters as she left the airport on Thursday, she had previously said she understood Australians’ skepticism about accepting her return.

‘I think I would have the same anxiety if I went back home,’ he said.

‘But what I’m saying is, don’t be so quick to judge. Try to see the situation from our perspective. ‘We are also mothers.’