Tareq Kamleh, a Perth-born, Adelaide-trained paediatrician known as "Dr Jihad," has resurfaced in a recently uncovered interview recorded inside a Syrian prison. In the interview, first uploaded in early July 2025, Kamleh denied ever intending to join Islamic State (IS) or pledging allegiance to the extremist group.
Kamleh traveled to Syria in 2015 and is now one of more than a dozen Australians accused of involvement with IS who are detained in an Iraqi prison. The group was transferred from Syrian jails to Iraq earlier this year under a US-brokered deal to relocate IS fighters.
During the interview, Kamleh expressed confusion about his detention, saying, "No-one speaks to you, you don't sit with anyone, you don't know why you're here, you don't know how long you're going to be here."
He also stated, "It's a big misconception that everyone who came to Syria joined [Islamic State]," and added, "I didn't do training. I didn't give what's called 'bay'ah,' which is, if you translate it, pledge of allegiance."
Kamleh described being asked to send a message to both the Muslim and Western worlds that IS fighters would "sit tight in Raqqa." However, he claimed he never formally joined the group, which had failed in its attempt to establish a caliphate across Syria and Iraq.
The revelation that Kamleh is alive in an Iraqi prison, after years of presumed death in Syria, has reignited debate in Australia about the fate of foreigners who joined the failed caliphate. The Australian government has stated it will not assist the men in returning, similar to its stance on recently repatriated women and children linked to IS fighters.
According to reports, Kamleh adopted some extremist propaganda, advocating for terrorist activity beyond conflict zones, reflecting the ideology promoted by IS during that period.
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