Syrian Kurds Say Repatriated 6 IS Orphans To Belgium

Syrian Kurds Say Repatriated 6 IS Orphans to Belgium

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2019) The Kurdish autonomy in northeastern Syria said it had handed over six Belgian children of killed members of the Islamic State terror group (IS, banned in Russia) to the EU country's diplomats.

On Thursday, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders announced the upcoming repatriation of orphans of killed IS terrorists from Syria to Belgium through Iraq. The diplomat explained that the operation is possible due to a memorandum of understanding with the authorities of Iraq's Kurdistan region.

"Six children of IS militants were handed over to representatives of the Belgian Foreign Ministry in the city of Ain Issa in line with an international memorandum," spokesman Kamal Akef said in a statement published on the autonomy administration's Facebook page.

According to Brussels, the measure concerns children aged under 10-12 years who currently live in northeastern Syria. Notably, Damascus does not recognize the Kurdish authorities in the region.

There are currently up to 110 IS-linked Belgian citizens, including teenagers, living in Syrian camps.

Belgium is one of EU states facing a surge in returns of so-called foreign fighters � citizens who left their countries to join terror groups in the middle East.

Moreover, authorities of various countries are working on policies concerning the return of women who followed their husbands to war zones and their children.