Tareq Kamleh, an Australian doctor who joined the Islamic State (ISIS) and became known as 'Dr. Jihad,' is alive and being held in a high-security prison in Baghdad, Iraqi counter-terrorism officials are interrogating him. His survival comes as a shock to his parents, who believed he had died nearly a decade ago.
Kamleh, 41, a Perth-born doctor, gained notoriety in 2015 when he appeared in ISIS propaganda videos clad in western surgical scrubs, urging medical professionals to join the extremist group. Two years later, online posts circulated among ISIS fighters claiming he had been killed during the final battle of Raqqa.
However, a government source claims that Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) received a tip-off from U.S. agents in 2022 regarding Kamleh's survival. The source further alleges that DFAT knew last year that Kamleh was detained in prison but opted "not to get involved." This decision, according to the source, came despite pleas from Kamleh's family and organizations like the Red Cross for the rescue of his young children.
DFAT has declined to comment on these claims. Imad Kamleh, Tareq's father, expressed shock and hurt over his son's actions. He stated that his son had told the family he was going to Melbourne for a holiday in 2015, but instead traveled to Syria to join ISIS. His mother remains deeply upset and angry about the situation.
Kamleh is one of 13 men linked to ISIS who are reportedly seeking to return to Australia. The Australian Federal Police have an active warrant for his arrest on terrorism offenses, including joining and recruiting for a banned organization. His father stated that he would respect any decision made by the Australian government regarding his son's potential return.
Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O'Neil, stated that no assistance has been or will be provided for the return of individuals like Kamleh. "He's obviously made a decision to join a violent death cult and he needs to be accountable for that," O'Neil said.
Kamleh, who completed his medical studies at Adelaide University and worked at hospitals in Adelaide and North Queensland, reportedly told mosque parishioners in 2015 that he was going overseas to work with Doctors Without Borders. Instead, he traveled to Malaysia, then Turkey, and crossed into Syria.
In a 2015 letter to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Kamleh stated he had made a "well-educated and calculated decision" to join ISIS, citing a humanitarian duty to help suffering children in the war-torn region. He also vowed never to return to Australia, stating he had "finally returned home."