Belgian Fathers Fail to Bring Home their Jihadist Turned Teenage Sons From Syria

Two Belgian fathers who set out to find and then bring back their jihadist turned teenage sons in Syria have been unsuccessful, according to Al Arabiya News.

The teenagers, 18-year-old, Lucas, and 19-year-old, Abdelmalek, went missing on 11 June when they escaped to Syria and later joined the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (Isis) group.

Despite undertaking the dangerous journey himself soon after, Pol Van Hessche, father of Lucas, was unable to convince his son to return home after meeting on the Turkey-Syria border.

"The boys are staying in the desert... it was not easy to speak to them. My son looked scared because the police will put him into prison as soon as he goes back to Belgium," said Hessche.

Hessche said Isis allowed him to meet his son for an hour, however, the militants accompanied them throughout the duration of the meeting.

Idriss Boutalliss, father of Abdelmalek, said that the two boys were being taught a strict version of Sharia law in a house with Europeans and other nationalities.

The fathers had arranged the meeting with the assistance of another Belgian father, Dimitri Bontinck, whose son was rescued from Isis last year in Syria.

Lucas and Abdelmalek were among the approximately 2,000 Europeans who have travelled to Syria to fight against the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad's regime.