Thirty Irish citizens fighting in Iraq and Syria

Around 30 Irish citizens are believed to be fighting in conflicts in Syria and Iraq and three of them have been killed.

The Oireachtas committee on Justice has been told of concerns that the fighters may become so radicalised while in these countries that they could present a security threat when they return home.

Those who have already returned from the warzones are being monitored by gardaí.

David Stanton, chairman of the Oireachtas committee, said they had been informed about the Irish fighters during a briefing from Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.

This follows a European Council meeting which was held earlier this month in Luxembourg where member states discussed enhancing co-operation, intelligence-gathering and counter-terrorism measures, especially in regards to fighters returning from the warzones.

It is estimated that 2,000 EU citizens are fighting in Syria and Iraq. Mr Stanton said there was no evidence to suggest there was a slowdown in the number of fighters from EU states heading to these conflict zones.

He said there was serious concern that some of them could come under the influence of hardline extremists and be ordered to carry out acts of terrorism once they return to their own countries.

“The vast majority of people of the Muslim faith are peace-loving and condemn extremism. But there are a small number who may be brainwashed and radicalised by extremists,” Mr Stanton said. “This is certainly a matter of concern.”

He said for operational reasons gardaí haven’t released any information about the identities of the Irish fighters.

“To date, approximately 30 individuals from this country have gone out there and there are three known fatalities. The gardaí are closely monitoring the situation and in line with best international practice are actively engaging with those who have returned from these countries,” Mr Stanton said.

It’s believed the majority of those fighting in Syria and Iraq have accessed these countries through Turkey.

Mr Stanton said the current overall assessment of a threat to Ireland from international terrorism remains low.