Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its battle against terrorists in Iraq and Syria, said Friday it would strip dual nationals convicted of terror-related crimes of citizenship, the Daily Mail reported.

Dual nationals who were either involved in terror activities, members of a banned organization or convicted of terrorism offenses could lose their Australian citizenship, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told reporters in Melbourne.

"There is a very significant penalty to pay if people are involved in terrorist activities and they're a dual national," said Dutton.

Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals. While nearly 200 people were suspected of being a domestic threat, Dutton said approximately 100 people had left Australia for Syria to fight alongside organizations such as Daesh

Source: MENA