Canadian woman repatriated from Syria charged with terrorism

A Canadian woman linked to Islamic State jihadists who was repatriated from a camp in Syria six months ago has been charged with participating in a terrorist group, police said Friday.

Ammara Amjad was arrested Thursday in Milton, Ontario, west of Toronto, "for her alleged participation in the activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.

The 29-year-old was granted bail during a brief court appearance and is scheduled to be back before a judge on November 17.

Amjad was among a group of women and children that in April were part of the fourth repatriation operation conducted by the Canadian government of its nationals held in camps in Kurdish-administered northeastern Syria.

Since the end of the "caliphate" established by the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, many countries have been reluctant to allow the repatriation of wives and children of jihadists, fearing security threats and domestic political backlash.

Thousands of jihadists and their family members continue to be held in detention centres and informal camps where US commanders have warned they could fuel an IS revival. 

In June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken applauded countries, including Canada, that have brought home their nationals from Syria, urging other nations to follow suit.