Australians with alleged IS ties are turned back after departing Syrian camp for repatriation

ROJ CAMP, Syria (AP) — Syrian authorities turned back a group of Australian women and children on Monday after they left a camp in Syria housing people with alleged ties to Islamic State militants in an attempt to head back to their home country.

It was not clear if or when they would be able to complete their journey.

The 34 women and children from 11 families were supposed to make their way from Roj camp to the Syrian capital, Damascus, and then fly to Australia. Relatives of the returnees had been coordinating with Syrian authorities and had traveled from Australia to accompany them, camp officials said.

Rashid Omar, an administrator at the camp, said about an hour after departing the remote camp near the border with Iraq, the families were contacted by officials in Damascus who told them that the procedures for their departure were not complete and that they would not be able to travel. The families then returned to the camp.

Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, the camp's director, said the planned repatriations were organized by family members of the returnees rather than directly by Australian authorities.

Australian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Roj camp houses about 2,200 people from around 50 nationalities, mostly women and children, who have supposed links to the extremist group. Most in the camp are not technically prisoners and have not been accused of a crime, but they have, in effect, been detained in the heavily guarded camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The most well-known resident of the Roj camp, Shamima Begum, was 15 when she and two other girls fled from London in 2015 to marry IS fighters in Syria. Begum married a Dutch man fighting for IS and had three children, who all died. She recently lost an appeal against the British government’s decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship.

The fate of the Roj camp and the similar but larger al-Hol camp has been a matter of debate for years. Human rights groups have cited poor living conditions and pervasive violence in the camps, but many countries have been reluctant to take back their citizens who are detained there.

Monday’s repatriation, if completed, would have been the first this year. Ibrahim, the camp director, said 16 families were repatriated last year, including German, British and French nationals. In 2022, three Australian families were repatriated.

Government forces took control of al-Hol camp last month amid fighting with the SDF that led to state forces seizing most of the territory in northeast Syria previously controlled by the Kurdish forces.

The U.N. refugee agency said Sunday that a large number of residents of al-Hol camp have left and that the Syrian government plans to relocate those who remain.

Separately, thousands of accused IS militants who were held in detention centers in northeastern Syria have been transferred to Iraq by the U.S. military to stand trial there.

Family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals board a van heading to the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year, at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals walk toward a van bound for the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Female members of the Syrian Democratic Forces secure the area as vans carrying family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals head to the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals sit in a van heading to the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year, at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals board a van heading to the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year, at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals board a van heading to the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year, at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

MILAN (AP) — Xandra Velzeboer was barely done celebrating her Olympic gold medal in the 500 meters when Dutch short track speedskating teammate Jens van ’t Wout won his second gold.

She said to herself, “OK, we’re not done.”

So, Velzeboer went out and won the 1,000 meters gold medal Monday, four days after she topped the podium in the 500 at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Van ’t Wout captured the men's 1,500 meters title on Saturday.

“Jens’ second medal gave me so much positive energy and also made me hungry for more,” Velzeboer said.

She finished first in the final in 1 minute, 28.437 seconds, with Canada's Courtney Sarault in second for the silver medal followed by South Korea's Kim Gilli, who took bronze.

Home favorite Arianna Fontana, in her sixth Games and owner of 13 Olympic medals in her career, was fourth.

Velzeboer passed Sarault with three laps to go and held off challenges, sticking her right skate over the line and raising both arms aloft.

A smiling Velzeboer then high-fived teammates as she took a victory lap and lifted both hands up to her helmet as if in disbelief.

“These Olympics are a dream,” said Velzeboer, whose feats have also included breaking her own 500-meter world record during the semifinals of that event.

The 24-year-old Velzeboer said she felt confident and loose thanks to her gold medal last week.

“Before the race I was already feeling like I can do this,” she said. “I was very excited for this day. I’m just super happy that I could use my speed in the 1,000 as well.”

Velzeboer went to Plan B pretty early on in the final. She had wanted to pass Fontana.

“She blocked me. I was like ‘OK, keep cool, chill a bit,'” Velzeboer explained, recalling that her coaches had told her “it’s nine laps, it’s long enough, so take your time.”

Sarault, the bronze medalist in last week's 500, led but went wide thinking the ice "had a little bit more glide than it did — it didn’t.” That allowed Velzeboer and Gilli to accelerate into the first and second positions, respectively, before the Canadian fought back to finish second in 1:28.523.

“My last one was bronze, this one is silver. We’re going up slowly but surely,” Sarault said. “I’m really proud of myself.”

The 21-year-old Gilli said she was “so happy” to win her first Olympic medal.

Velzeboer's victory keeps the 1,000 title in Dutch hands. Suzanne Schulting had won back-to-back golds in the 1,000 in the past two Games, but wasn’t entered in the 1,000 for Milan Cortina.

The 35-year-old Fontana said she was building speed to make a move when she was bumped by China's Gong Li with a few laps to go. There was no penalty, though.

“Right in the moment when the Chinese skater hit me, I was ready to go in the front. I knew I was going to be able to find myself in first position at that moment,” Fontana said. “It didn't happen, and what upsets me is that I didn't have a chance to fight for a medal. It's upsetting.”

U.S. skater Kristen Santos-Griswold was looking for redemption at these Games but couldn't get out of the quarterfinals. Four years ago at the Beijing Olympics, she was leading the 1,000 meters final before crashing when Fontana cut inside. The Connecticut native was the 2024 world champion at 1,000 meters.

Canada’s Kim Boutin, the 1,000 meters silver medalist at the 2018 Games, also failed to advance from the quarterfinals.

Van ’t Wout and Canadian short track star William Dandjinou were on the ice Monday, too, for heats in the men’s 500 meters. The medals will be decided Wednesday, starting with the quarterfinal heats. Among the 20 skaters will be van ’t Wout's brother, Melle.

Canada’s Steven Dubois, who won the bronze medal in the 500 at the Beijing Games, had the fastest heat of the morning, finishing in 40.284 seconds.

Pietro Sighel of Italy got spun when two racers crashed in his heat, which forced him to cross the finish line while skating backward. His second-place finish sent him into the quarterfinals.

South Korea’s Hwang Daeheon, the 500 meters silver medalist from the 2018 Games, didn’t advance.

Also Monday, the semifinals of the men's 5,000-meter relay were held. South Korea, the Netherlands, Canada and Italy advanced to compete for the medals Friday.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates the gold after the women's 1,000 meters short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Courtney Sarault of Canada, Michelle Velzeboer of the Netherlands, and Elisa Confortola of Italy battle in the heats during the women's 1000 meter short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

From left to right, silver medalist Courtney Sarault of Canada, gold medalist Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands and bronze medalist Kim Gilli of South Korea receive their medals after the short track speed skating women's 1000m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Gold medalist Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates after the short track speed skating women's 1000m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Gold medalist Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands celebrates after receiving her medal after the short track speed skating women's 1000m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands finishes first to win gold during the women's 1000 meter short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)