The mother of an Australian woman who followed her Islamic State supporter husband to Syria is devastated at her death.

Tara Nettleton died of an infection, either kidney or appendix related, in the IS stronghold of Raqqa around September, according to The Australian and Fairfax Media.

“I am devastated because I wasn’t able to be at my daughter’s side,” her Sydney-based mother Karen Nettleton told The Australian.

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Nettleton leaves behind her five children with IS fighter Khaled Sharrouf, as well as a baby granddaughter.

The five Sharrouf children are now orphans.

Sharrouf is believed to have been killed during the fighting last year, although this has never been officially confirmed and there’s been some speculation he might still be alive.

Information from inside Syria and Iraq on the fates of Australians who have joined IS is scant and difficult to substantiate due to the war being waged across both middle eastern countries.

Last year, it was revealed Nettleton’s eldest daughter, Zaynab, 14, had been married to Sharrouf’s Australian mate and fellow IS fighter Mohamed Elomar.

The teenager later gave birth to a daughter, now believed to be about eight weeks old. But Elomar was already dead, following a drone strike in June.

Nettleton’s other children are aged five, 10, 11 and 13.

“I’m not able to be there for my grandkids and great-grandchild, who are suffering traumatic events outside their control,” Karen Nettleton told The Australian.

Last year, her lawyers appealed to the Australian government to bring the children back home.

Tara Nettleton took the children to Syria in 2014.