Australian police issue arrest warrant for ISIL doctor Tareq Kamleh

The Australian Federal Police issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Tareq Kamleh, the Australian doctor who left for Syria to join the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Kamleh was charged with belonging to a terrorist organization and recruiting for ISIL, as well as entering a “declared area,” a territory deemed a no-go zone by the Australian government.

Kamleh, who was trained as a pediatric registrar, appeared in an ISIL video in April in which he touted the group’s medical care policies. He reportedly left for Syria the month before to work as a doctor in Raqqa. He took the nom de guerre Abu Yousef Al-Australie and vowed never to come back to Australia in Facebook posts, according to the paper.

The move comes as Australian lawmakers consider taking away citizenship from dual citizens who affiliate themselves with ISIL and leave for Syria. The controversial proposal follows similar legislative initiatives by some countries in Europe, such as Belgium, which are trying to stop the flow of recruits to Syria. 

Al Jazeera