Teenagers bound to Syria stopped at Sydney airport

Melbourne: Two teenage brothers have been detained by Australian authorities at Sydney Airport on suspicion that they were trying to join Islamic State Fighters in Syria.

"The youths, aged 16 and 17, were detained by Customs on Saturday, after they aroused the suspicions of two Customs and Border Protection officers," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said.

The two who are said to be brothers were subsequently released into their parents custody and were issued court attendance notices.

Their luggage contained extremist paraphernalia and a letter on how to fabricate a cover story to authorities when leaving the country, ABC news reported.

The teenagers were headed for Turkey, a common transit point for those wanting to join IS, it said. In response to the incident, Dutton said the teens were "kids, not killers". The boys were stopped on their way to a potentially very dangerous situation, and their parents were "shocked" to learn of their plans, Dutton said.

"These two young men, are kids, not killers," he said.