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Australian teen suspected of joining jihadis trying to return home

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IANS Brisbane
Last Updated : May 21 2015 | 11:13 AM IST

An Australian teenager suspected of joining jihadis in Syria is reportedly trying to return home, a media report said on Thursday.

According to sources, Oliver Bridgeman, 18, from Queensland state, left Australia last month to join the Al Nusra Front terror group, Brisbane Times reported.

The teen had contacted his parents to tell them he was in an area controlled by the group but denied fighting alongside the terror group.

Australian Federal Police Commander Peter Crozier said that the latest intelligence suggested the teenager was in a conflict zone.

Bridgeman is among 100 Australians in the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq, and if he does return from a terrorist hotspot without a "valid reason", he could be arrested and jailed for five years under sweeping changes to the nation's security laws.

Australians suspected of joining or fighting with "listed" terrorist organisations including Islamic State and Al Nusra Front could face a maximum of 25 years imprisonment.

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First Published: May 21 2015 | 11:02 AM IST

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