Australia to block return of citizens involved in terrorist groups in Mideast

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday that his country would do everything it can to block its citizens who joined the radical terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq from returning.

Abbott's remarks indicate that jihadists from Western countries especially the Oceanic country have played the increasing important role in conflicts of the Middle East.

"We will do everything we humanly can do to stop jihadist terrorists coming into this country...," he told reporters in the second largest city of Melbourne.

It's important to ensure the Australian law enforcements have the means at their disposal to ensure the country's community is safe, he added.

He was also referring to Australia's successful block of boat asylum seekers, saying his government can also and is determined to stop the return of its jihadist citizens as well.

The Australian government is now closely observing its nationals who are currently fighting together with some radical terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq.

In an interview with the media last week, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there might be 150 Australians fighting along with rebel groups and she is "deeply concerned" about Australians who support, work or actually are with the extremists.

"We are concerned that Australians are working with them, becoming radicalized, learning the terrorist trade and if they come back to Australia of course it poses a security threat and we 're doing what we can to identify them," she added.

Since the civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, thousands of fighters from Western countries of Middle East origin have joined some extremist groups to fight against President Bashar Assad's government.

Many of them are Australians trained on the battle field and some of them even joined the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a radical armed group committing horrifying attacks against civilians in the past two years.

According to recent reports, some Australians also crossed border with ISIL into Iraq and launched wars against the Iraqi government forces.