A rebel fighter aims his weapon as he takes a position on the frontline against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's forces
IN PHOTO: A rebel fighter aims his weapon as he takes a position on the frontline against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the Handarat area, north of Aleppo, November 11, 2014. REUTERS/Hosam Katan

Four brothers from western Sydney, who are believed to have joined the Islamic State militants in the Middle East, sent a text message to their mother. The message apparently confirmed that they had joined the extremist activities in Syria.

The men, who are between 17 and 28, told their mother that they were going to Thailand for a "free holiday." They were supposed to return on Saturday. However, their text message confirming their travel to Syria reached their mother one day before that. "We made it to Bilad al-Sham, we will see you in Paradise," the text message said. The mother, however, could not believe that her sons had really joined Islamic State. She asked her fifth son to go to the airport to receive his brothers. He waited for hours at the airport but none of his brothers arrived.

The Australian quoted Islamic leader Jamal Rifi who had earlier had a conversation with the fifth brother. According to Rifi, the parents of the young men were "devastated." They still hope that their sons are going to "come to their senses," he said. Rifi also said that the parents were also hoping that someone would "talk common sense" to their sons at the border crossing. According to Rifi, the four Sydney men were moderate Muslims. One of the brothers who had visited Mecca in 2012 was "unfit to be a soldier," he said.

Following what the sons told their mother, they did arrive in Thailand. However, their trip to Bangkok was only to board a plane which would take them to Turkey. The parents said that the young men, one of whom was still at school, had no radical tendencies. According to the parents, someone must have influenced in a way that they decided to take such a step. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said that the Sydney brothers had no previous criminal records. He said that Customs and Border Protection was aware that the brothers had not come back from their trip. Morrison called them as "the victims of a grooming and organised campaign to take young Australians."

Authorities believe that the brothers must have plans to cross the border to enter Syria to be a part of the extremist activities.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au