Australians released from Syrian camp of IS families

Syrian Kurdish forces released 34 Australians from a camp housing families of suspected Islamic State militants in northern Syria, saying they would be sent to Australia from Damascus.

Hukmiya Mohamed, co-manager of the Roj camp, told Reuters that 34 Australians were left with their family members who came to Syria to be released.

They were put on small buses towards Damascus.

There are more than 2000 people from 40 different nationalities in the Roj camp, mostly women and children.

Thousands of people believed to be linked to ISIS militants have been held in Roj and a second camp, Al Hol, since the jihadist group was driven from its last foothold in Syria in 2019.

Syrian government forces captured parts of northern Syria from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in January before agreeing to a ceasefire on January 29.

Last week, the U.S. military completed its mission to transfer 5,700 adult male ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq.