Article content continued

Hamsa Kariye, an Edmonton construction worker who left his job at KBR Wabi in May 2013, and two relatives, are believed to have died in mid-November. The family declined to comment, saying it was a “private” matter.

But it is widely known in the Edmonton Somali community. A member of the community said the mother had received a phone call from Syria telling her about the deaths. A Somali imam said he had met one of the fathers. “I met the father and I gave my condolences,” he said.

The family straddles the border, with some members in Edmonton and others in Minnesota. The men are believed to have joined ISIS but a community member said the mother had no idea. “She didn’t know that they were there,” he said.

The eldest of the group and possible ringleader, Hamsa was allegedly a friend of Douglas McCain, a 33-year-old American ISIS member who grew up in Minneapolis and was allegedly killed in Syria last August.

Asked if he was aware of the deaths, and if they were being investigated, Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said: “I couldn’t answer either of those questions. It’s not something I’m personally aware of.” But he said radicalization was a growing problem in Edmonton.

In addition, officials believe Calgary brothers Collin and Gregory Gordon, also members of ISIS, were killed. Their deaths were also reported on Twitter last month but their family has so far declined to talk about the matter.

A pro-ISIS Twitter account claimed Mr. Maguire, a 24-tear-old former University of Ottawa student, had died near Kobani, the town on the Turkish border that ISIS has been struggling to capture from Western-backed Kurdish forces.