40 people have left Ireland for Islamic State areas

UP TO 15 people have travelled from Ireland to conflict zones where Islamic State is active since October.

The Department of Justice confirmed that up to 40 people have left Ireland for North Africa and the Middle East since the beginning of the Arab Spring uprisings in December 2010.

Ar least three people are known to have died.

A spokesperson told TheJournal.ie: “While some of these people travelled for family or humanitarian reasons, some travelled to participate in conflict and three are known to have lost their lives.”

The potential threat from international terrorism and foreign fighters is a matter of shared concern at EU level and the Garda authorities work closely with their international counterparts in addressing it.

“An Garda Síochána keeps the level of threat from international terrorism under continuous review in light of ongoing developments and continues to take all appropriate measures to counteract the threat.”

Read: Three Irish fighters have been killed in Middle East conflicts since 2010