Irish soldier moved to Syria and became Isis bride, officials believe
Gardaí in contact with woman’s family
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A former Irish soldier who converted to Islam and travelled to Syria where she gave birth to a child has reportedly been arrested for membership of Isis.
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed an Irish citizen is being held in northern Syria but has not confirmed her identity.
Despite there being no official confirmation, gardaí and officials in the Defence Forces and the Department of Defence believe she is a former member of the Defence Forces, RTE reports.
The woman, who is thought to be from the north east of the country, joined the forces when she was 19 and served as a private for five years.
Eight years ago she left the forces and converted to Islam. She became radicalised and is thought to have travelled to Syria about three years ago.
The gardaí have reportedly been in contact with her family and are keeping them informed of developments.
They are now working to confirm the woman’s identity and to confirm reports she was arrested at an airport in Syria.
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said it provided consular assistance to all Irish citizens abroad, but it is not clear if the woman has sought assistance from the Irish or other authorities, RTE reported.
The woman’s detention comes as British home secretary Sajid Javid faces strong criticism for stripping a teenager of her British citizenship after she left the UK aged 15 to join Isis.
Despite her having a baby a few weeks old she was denied the chance of returning and the baby subsequently died of pneumonia in a refugee camp.
The Independent has contacted the Irish Department for Foreign Affairs for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments