The federal government is investigating reports that two Canadian were among a group of Islamic State militants detained by Iraqi armed forces in Mosul last week.
“We are aware of these media reports. Canadian officials are contacting local authorities and gathering additional information,” Jocelyn Sweet, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, told Global News in a statement.
The two Canadians were among a group of 20 women captured in a secret tunnel in Mosul on July 13th, according to a Kurdish media report.
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“The women had weapons and explosive belts meant to attack Iraqi troops,” Iraqi counterterrorism official Haider al-Araji was reported to have said in a statement.
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The group was said to also include five Germans, three Russians, three Turks, a Chechen, and six from Libya and Syria.
The women were said to be working for the ISIS police faction.
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The report also said it was unclear whether the women would stand trial or be sent back to their home countries.
The federal government released a report in 2016 which said it was aware of 180 individuals with a connection to Canada “suspected of engaging in terrorism-related activities.” Sixty others were said to have returned to Canada.
One of the German women who were picked up could be 16-year-old named “Linda W.” who disappeared last summer, according to Die Welt. She fled Germany in 2016 while under investigation from German intelligence officials who believed she may have been plotting an attack in Germany.