Mothers emerging as new radical Islamist foot soldiers

Fear that family-based terror cells will be harder to infiltrate, capture

Women and children waiting to be searched by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after leaving ISIS' last holdout of Baghouz, in Syria, last month. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Women and children waiting to be searched by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after leaving ISIS' last holdout of Baghouz, in Syria, last month. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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The grisly suicide bombings in Sri Lanka have solidified the role of a new foot soldier dedicated to the cause of Islamist violence: mothers.

Hours after the Easter Sunday attacks, police raided the home of the extended family of two of the suspected suicide bombers, Ilham and Inshaf Ibrahim.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 03, 2019, with the headline Mothers emerging as new radical Islamist foot soldiers. Subscribe