Children of Australian terrorists face "close supervision" if returning home: PM

Children of Australians who are fighting with Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East would be watched with the "closest possible supervision" if they return home from the war zone, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday. Following the release of an image of a young boy, who is believed to be the son of Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf, standing next to the body of a dead man in Syria, Turnbull has said if "exploited" children return to Australia, they would be welcomed but kept under close watch by the nation's counter-terror bodies.

"All of the children who are being exploited in this way, if they are Australian citizens, of course, would be able to return to Australia, but under the closest possible supervision and observation," Turnbull said on Monday.

He said the photo, which was broadcast on Australian television on Sunday night, showed the depths of "barbarity, of cruelty, of savagery, that IS has sunk to".

"If they are adults, they will obviously be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." Also speaking on Monday, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the image "says a lot more about Khaled Sharrouf than it does about his children", who he said had been brainwashed from a young age.

"We're all working very closely with our partners overseas and of course the ultimate aim is to prosecute Khaled Sharrouf," he said.

Sharrouf is one of Australia's most notorious foreign fighters, and is well-known for being the first dual-national Australian to have his Australian passport cancelled under new laws. Endit