This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22727911

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
US woman Nicole Mansfield killed fighting in Syria US woman Nicole Mansfield killed fighting in Syria
(about 11 hours later)
An American woman has been killed in Syria fighting for opposition forces, her family have been told by the FBI.An American woman has been killed in Syria fighting for opposition forces, her family have been told by the FBI.
Nicole Mansfield, who was 33 and from Flint in Michigan, converted to Islam about five years ago, her aunt told Reuters news agency. Nicole Mansfield, 33 and from Flint in Michigan, converted to Islam about five years ago, her aunt told Reuters news agency.
The family did not know the details of how she died, the agency reported.The family did not know the details of how she died, the agency reported.
State-run TV in Syria showed pictures of a passport and a Michigan driving licence apparently belonging to Ms Mansfield.State-run TV in Syria showed pictures of a passport and a Michigan driving licence apparently belonging to Ms Mansfield.
The woman's cousin, David Speelman, told the Associated Press that FBI agents had visited the family on Thursday to tell them of Ms Mansfield's death. She is the only American known to have died in the conflict in Syria. An estimated 70,000 people are believed to have died since violence broke out more than two years ago.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Ms Mansfield, who was raised a Baptist, had previously been married to an Arab man, and also had a teenage daughter. 'Known to take off'
On Thursday a monitoring group said three foreigners had been killed in Syria including an American woman and a British man. Both were reported to be Muslims.
They were in Idlib province near the Turkish border, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"They were shot dead during an ambush in the Idlib region and the army found them with maps of military positions," Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the monitoring group, told the AFP news agency.
The woman's cousin David Speelman told the Associated Press that FBI agents had visited the family on Thursday to tell them of Ms Mansfield's death.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Ms Mansfield, who was raised a Baptist, had previously been married to an Arab man and had a teenage daughter.
After her marriage ended, Ms Mansfield remained a Muslim and travelled to Dubai to learn about Arab culture, her aunt Monica Mansfield-Speelman told the AFP news agency.
She said she had last heard from her niece in September.
"We didn't know she was over there," Ms Mansfield-Speelman said. "We didn't know she was gone, but Nicole, she was known to take off like that."
The photographs on her ID show her wearing a hijab or Muslim headscarf.The photographs on her ID show her wearing a hijab or Muslim headscarf.
The paper said that Ms Mansfield had dropped out of school after becoming pregnant but later gained her GED or high school equivalency qualification. It is reported that Ms Mansfield had dropped out of school after becoming pregnant but later gained her GED or high school equivalency qualification.
She had worked in health care for the past decade. She had worked in healthcare for the past decade.
Her father was a General Motors production worker.Her father was a General Motors production worker.
Her grandmother told the newspaper that she had "a heart of gold," but was easily influenced by others.Her grandmother told the newspaper that she had "a heart of gold," but was easily influenced by others.
"I think she could have been brainwashed," Carole Mansfield said."I think she could have been brainwashed," Carole Mansfield said.