Gone are the days when unfortunate parents would be shocked to discover their children’s path to extremism only after they had committed atrocities.

This doesn’t seem to be true anymore.

In more recent times, the trend being dubbed by regional media as “mothers of death” has seen sons being prompted to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by their own parents.

One such instance came to light recently when 17 people were arrested in Saudi Arabia, including 13 Saudis, an Egyptian, a Yemeni, a Palestinian and a woman. They were found to be conspiring to carry out terrorist activities.

Among them was a woman named Khulood al-Rukaibi.

Who was Khulood al-Rukaibi?

Rukaibi, known by ISIS as “Umm Mohammed” is in her late forties with a primary level education. She married a man who was allegedly weak in being “the man of the house”. He fathered her six children – four boys and two girls.

According to AlArabiya.net’s investigation, social media sources reported that one of Khulood’s sons is already fighting in Syria. Two of her other sons – Hamad and Nassar – were recruited to carry out attacks inside Saudi Arabia.

According to investigations carried out by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, she was the brain and the power behind the ISIS cell that were planning to carry out attacks in Saudi Arabia but were foiled during a September 18 raid by the authorities.

Those three cells were planning four attacks and had reached advanced stages of preparation. The aim was to target citizens, religious scholars, security forces and military, security and economic facilities in different areas as well as religious sites in al-Ahsa and security headquarters linked to the defense and interior ministries.

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