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The Canadian government said it was investigating reports that a Canadian-Israeli woman who joined Kurdish militias fighting in northern Syria has been captured by Islamic State fighters.
According to a blog linked to the Islamic State, several female fighters who fought alongside the Kurds have been taken prisoner, including Gill Rosenberg, a Canadian-born resident of Tel Aviv. 
Israel Radio reported Kurdish sources denying the claims, saying Rosenberg was not in the area when it was attacked.
 A Canadian government spokesman said in a statement on Sunday his country was "pursuing all appropriate channels" as it sought further information and was in touch with the local authorities. 
Asked by an Israeli television station about the reports, the Israeli defence minister, Moshe Ya'alon, said : "I cannot confirm that and I hope that it isn't true."
The Shin Bet, Israel's general security service, told the 
Jerusalem Post: "There are no further details at this stage".

Rosenberg, 31, joined Kurdish troops fighting the Islamic State earlier this month. A former pilot who served in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), she reportedly contacted Kurdish fighters over the internet before travelling through Iraq to train at one of their camps on the Syrian border. In an interview with Israel Radio aired in November, Rosenberg said she was training with Kurdish guerrillas with the intention of fighting in Syria. "They are our brothers. They are good people. They love life, a lot like us, really," she said.
The Islamic State, which has killed five Western hostages , is believed to be holding 39 Indian construction workers captive. It reportedly executed two Iraqi women who were former parliamentary candidates last week.
Meanwhile a Dutch court sentenced a jihadist to three years in prison  yesterday for fighting in Syria, reportedly the first penalty of its kind in the Netherlands. The   court convicted the 20-year-old, identified only as "Maher H",  for having fought in Syria. His wife was acquitted of recruiting two women to go to Syria to marry jihadists. 
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse


Ottawa investigating reports that Canadian-Israeli woman was captured by the Islamic State

Gill Rosenberg is a Canadian-born resident of Tel Aviv.

Pope urges Muslim leaders to clearly denounce violence against Christians in the Middle East

An airstrike on an Islamic State position in October. The pope has spoken out against the radicals' violence towards Christians. Photo: AFP

Pope Francis (left) and Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: EPA

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The Canadian government said it was investigating reports that a Canadian-Israeli woman who joined Kurdish militias fighting in northern Syria has been captured by Islamic State fighters.
