Wife of Australian Isis recruit Mohamed Elomar pleads guilty to supporting terrorism

The wife of Australian extremist Mohamed Elomar has pleaded guilty to supporting overseas terrorism in Syria. Fatima Elomar was stopped at Sydney Airport in May 2014 as she tried to board an international flight to join her husband who was fighting with Islamic State (Isis) in Syria.

Elomar is believed to have travelled to Syria in 2013 to join IS. He, along with fellow Australian Khaled Sharrouf, gained the title of being one of Australia's most notorious terrorists when he posed for photos holding severed heads of enemy fighters. It is believed that Elomar was killed in June this year during a drone strike on the IS stronghold of Raqqa.

Fatima Elomar, 30, pleaded guilty at Sydney's district court on 16 November to one count of supporting foreign hostile acts between 3 April and 3 May last year. Her husband had asked her to bring him cargo pants, underwear, long-sleeved shirts and anti-dandruff shampoo, the court was told.

Authorities also found $10,000 (£6,577) in her bag when she was intercepted at Sydney airport, as well as camouflage clothing, Elomar's birth certificate and electronics.

In March this year, a series of text messages between the couple revealed that Fatima had asked Mohamed whether he would ever consider returning home after he sent her images of a shrapnel wound on his leg. However, the jihadist said that it would be "turning his back on Allah" and reminded his wife of the "rewards".

Fatima will face a sentencing hearing in April 2016. According to the Australian government, roughly 120 Australians are supporting IS and other terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. In June 2015, the Australian government introduced a Bill that gives it the power to strip citizenship from the children of extremists fighting abroad.