Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (L) and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key speak during a joint news conference on Abbott's first official two-day visit, in Auckland
IN PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (L) and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key speak during a joint news conference on Abbott's first official two-day visit, in Auckland February 28, 2015. Reuters/David Rowland

New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service, or SIS, has “talked down” Kiwis who wanted to leave the country and join the fight against ISIS. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said he was aware of the situation in a recent press conference.

“The number is quite small but there are cases where family members do become very distressed and concerned by activity they see and they usually approach the police in the first instance,” said Mr Key. He and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had visited the Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington as New Zealand prepares for ANZAC Day.

Although there were no specific terror threats targeting New Zealand, Mr Key said there was always an increased risk in major events. Last weekend, Australian authorities in Melbourne arrested five people to stop an alleged terror plot targeting ANZAC Day events in New Zealand, reports TVNZ.

Meanwhile, Iraqi and Muslim community leaders in New Zealand were surprised about the news of the death of an Iraqi refugee from Napier, Kadhem Chilab Abbas. The father of 24 natural and adopted children was killed after an ISIS-fired rocket hit the car Abbas was travelling in. Abbas was in Iraq when he heard news of ISIS atrocities and volunteered to fight against the terror group.

The community leaders said there was a small group who were also interested in returning to Iraq and defend their country against ISIS. Abbas Ahmed, a spokesman for New Zealand’s Kurdish community, said he was aware that between 20 and 25 people wanted to join the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to fight the extremists, reports New Zealand Herald.

“A lot of us have life commitments in New Zealand, they have families, children. But there is a feeling, a moral duty that they should unite against this kind of brutal fighting from ISIS,” said Ahmed. The Kurdish government told them they were not needed but they found other ways to show support like sending donations and holding anti-ISIS rallies.

A spokesperson for Attorney-General Chris Finlayson said there was no law in New Zealand that could prevent Kiwis from travelling to Iraq or Syria. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a travel ban to both countries.

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