Syria: 19-Year-Old Kurdish Woman Fighter 'Kills Herself Rather Than Falling into Isis' Hands'

A 19-year-old Kurdish fighter who appeared on a BBC report about Kurdish YPG women warriors in Syria has reportedly killed herself rather than falling into the hands of Isis (now known as Islamic State).

Ceylan Ozalp found herself surrounded by Islamic State forces near the northern Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani, where a key battle is raging against the Sunni Islamists' threat.

With a lack of ammunition and in a hopeless situation, Ozalp said goodbye over the radio "and killed herself with the last bullet so that she doesn't fall into the hands of the rapists", according to one report.

However, other sources suggested that Ozalp never left Jezaa in northern Syria, where Kurdish forces are still in control.

IBTimes UK could not verify the authenticity of the report on her suicide, which also appeared in many Turkish media outlets such as Radikal, and was confirmed by pro-Kurdish politicians of Turkey's BDP party.

BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reported on the clashes between Islamic State and the YPG, also known as People's Protection Units. An offshoot of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), which is labelled as a terrorist organisation by the US and the EU, the YPG is one third made up of women.

Ozalp, also known as Diren, is pictured defiantly saying: "We're not scared of anything. We'll fight to the last. We'd rather blow ourselves up than be captured by Isis.

"When they see a woman with a gun, they're so afraid they begin to shake. They portray themselves as tough guys to the world. But when they see us with our guns they run away. They see a woman as just a small thing. But one of our women is worth a hundred of their men."

UPDATE: Turkish newspaper Milliyet news has denied reports that Ceylan Ozalp has died, citing unnamed Kurdish sources.

Kurdish journalist Mujgan Halis has also tweeted that Ozalp is alive: