Belgium takes back mothers and children from Syria

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s judicial authorities have brought home six women and 16 children with Belgian citizenship who were held in Syria for their suspected connection with the Islamic State group. The federal prosecutor’s office said it’s the second repatriation operation following a July 2021 flight that brought back six mothers and 10 children. Spokesman Eric Van Duyse told The Associated Press that all the women on the latest flight have been sentenced in Belgium to up to five years in jail.