US, Saudi top diplomats urge repatriation of detained IS recruits

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/Pool

RIYADH (Reuters) - The United States and Saudi Arabia urged countries to take back citizens captured in the fight against Islamic State, with the kingdom's top diplomat saying it was "absolutely unacceptable" that wealthy countries skirted that responsibility.

"I would say to those countries, you must step up," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a meeting of the U.S.-led coalition in Riyadh.