Jasmina Milovanov abandoned her seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter so she could flee to Syria to fight for ISIS. The Sydney, Australia mother, who is 26, told her babysitter she was leaving to pick up a new car, but she never returned home. That was back in early May.
“She never mentioned anything,” her mother said in an interview on Tuesday. “I even saw her the week before and she was alright. Probably she is brainwashed. She is so young and naive.”
Going by the name Assma Abdulla on Facebook, Jasmina Milovanov posted there that she had arrived in “sham,” which is the Arabic word for Syria.
“In the blessed land of sham…bad reception…Please forgive me for everything,” she wrote in a post that has since been removed from her account.
Single mother of two, Jasmina Milovanov, could face a decade behind bars under foreign fighter legislation. #9News pic.twitter.com/ttO0l387yf
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) May 26, 2015
Jasmina Milovanov reportedly had links to a jihadi bride recruiter who may have recruited her to Syria. A friend claims she often posted–under the name Assma Abdulla–about finding a husband.
“What we believe is Assma really wanted to get married, she was very lonely…we think that’s how they’ve encouraged her to go,” the friend said. “She’s not a terrorist. I don’t believe she’s gone over there to fight.”
Australian woman abandons her two kids to join ISIS http://t.co/xMwcY1qEDP pic.twitter.com/GXuTglYU8Z
— India Today (@IndiaToday) May 26, 2015
Another friend claims Jasmina Milovanov borrowed $2500, which was likely used to finance her travel to Syria.
Jasmina Milovanov’s ex-husband, a Turkish-Australian, claims he received a text from her while he was in Turkey. She told him she was in ‘sham,” and asked him to return to Australia to care for their children.
Jasmina Milovanov told babysitter was going to pick up new car – never returned. #ISIS #Syria http://t.co/xyvA0q5PR3
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) May 26, 2015