Irish woman linked to Islamic State
Army specialists are understood to be investigating a route out of Syria to return an Irish woman linked to Islamic State.
Reports say that members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and from the Defence Forces traveled to Turkey to asses the return of Lisa Smith and her two-year-old daughter.
A group of specialists in the Emergency Civilian Assistance Team carried out a risk assessment to potentially aid Smith’s controversial repatriation.
The Dundalk woman escaped from a Kurdish forces detainment camp in northeast Syria last month and its believed she is now being held near the Turkish border.
Previous diplomatic missions to those holding Smith were politically sensitive as she was being held by a Syrian-Kurdish led administration not recognised by the Irish government.
A security analyst with TheJournal.ie Dr. Tom Clonan says finding a safe route out of Syria will be a challenge.
"Her last reported whereabouts was within the Turkish corridor of control in Northern Syria so the challenge for the Defence Forces would be to identify a pathway out of that Turkish held area."
