Australia's Jihadis

101 East explores why so many young Australians are risking their lives on the brutal front lines of Syria and Iraq.


Bassima El Baf is inconsolable. Her four sons have left the safety of their Australian home for the violent chaos of a war that seems a world away from Sydney.

The brothers, who told their parents they were going to Thailand, sent a text message saying "see you in paradise".

The El Baf boys are believed to be among the latest young Australians to travel to Syria to fight, and their parents can not understand why.

Australia contributes one of the largest number of foreign fighters per capita from any country outside of the Middle East to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.