Friends and family of two Australians believed killed in Syria last week have spoken out to express their shock and sadness, while details of exactly how they died are yet to emerge.
The mother of Amira Karroum, Honor Deane, spoke of her grief in a Facebook post to friends, saying her heart "would never heal".
Amira and her husband Yusuf Ali are thought to have been killed in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where they had recently moved.
It's not known exactly why the deeply religious couple were there.
Earlier, Amira's sister Rose Karroum broke the news to friends on her own Facebook page. "Do not fight with ur siblings," she wrote. "I've lost my sister, and wud love to see her smile again."
The 22-year-old was an alumni of St Hilda's School on the Gold Coast.
A spokesperson for the prestigious Anglican school expressed their sadness via email, writing:
"In light of recent events, our thoughts and prayers are with Amira Karroum and her loved ones at this time."
After graduating from high school in 2009, Amira obtained a degree in graphic design from Queensland University of Technology.
She later moved to Granville, in Sydney's west, and married Yusuf, who she called "my lion."
Shaykh Omar El Banna from the Masjid Al-Noor Mosque in Granville described Yusuf as "very quiet... very gentle."
He said news of his death and that of his wife was "very, very sad."
"It's sad that young men, young women like that get caught up in the mess and the chaos down there, it's very sad."
Speaking to the ABC earlier today, Mr El Banna said he believed the pair had made their way to Syria to provide humanitarian support.
Rose Karroum wrote that her sister and brother-in-law had been "martyred".
The Department of Foreign Affairs told SBS as of Tuesday morning they are still seeking to confirm the reported deaths of two Australians in Syria.
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