RIYADH: Authorities have begun investigating the three Saudi sisters who were returned from Lebanon before managing to make their way — together with seven of their children, aged between 1 and 10 years — to conflict areas in Syria.

Authorities are preparing the ground for trial of the women by the Special Criminal Court. The children have been placed in a shelter.

The Ministry of Interior Thursday issued a press statement detailing how Saudi government, in coordination with the Lebanese authorities, apprehended and brought back the three sisters, who all subscribe to extremist ideologies.

The sisters and their children were on their way to Syria to join terrorist groups.

The case highlights the important roles families, especially parents, can play in helping authorities protect the homeland, as the husband of one of the women was essential in helping Saudi and Lebanese authorities in finding and bringing them back to the Kingdom.

The husband reported the women’s flight to Saudi authorities by using the hotline 990.

The three women are arrested just like two others, May and Amina, who, with six children, tried to cross the Saudi-Yemeni border aided by three Yemeni smugglers in order to join terrorist organizations there.

The two had been government employees who became radicalized. They had tried to lure youngsters to join terrorist organizations, had been arrested together with three other women, in cases concerning national security, but were released under the directives of Prince Mohammed bin Naif, only to return to their old ways.

They were arrested in Juamad Al-Akhira in 1435 AH while trying to get into Yemen on foot to join Al-Qaeda.

Border guards caught them in the late hours of the night, just before they could leave the Saudi territory.

The Special Criminal Court this year issued rulings against two Saudi women known as Om Oweis and Al-Mohajira, convicting them for supporting Daesh and for involvement in terrorism.

They were sentenced to six years in prison.