( CNN ) -- Syrian state-run television reported Thursday that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad killed three Westerners , including an American woman and a British citizen , who it claims were fighting with the rebels and were found with weapons . Syrian TV identified the woman , releasing what it claimed were images of her Michigan driver 's license and U.S. passport . It also released what is said was the name and passport of a British citizen . It did not identify a third person who it claimed was a Westerner . The report said the three were ambushed in their car in the flashpoint province of Idlib in northwestern Syria , where government forces have been battling rebels for control . TV footage showed a bullet-riddled car and three bodies laid out . It also showed weapons , a computer , a hand-drawn map of a government military facility and a flag belonging to the al Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front . The United States is aware of the claim that an American woman was killed and is working through the Czech Republic mission in Syria to obtain more information , a State Department official , speaking on condition of anonymity , told CNN . Citing privacy concerns , `` we are unable to comment further , '' the official said . A family member of the American woman told CNN on Thursday she was informed by the FBI about the death . The family member said the FBI did not provide any details about how the woman died . CNN is not identifying the family member , who lives in Michigan , until next of kin notifications have been completed . The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the claims , but is not able to verify them without further information . Al-Nusra Front . If the Syrian state TV report is true , it will not be the first time an American has been accused of fighting with rebel groups to overthrow al-Assad . In March , a former U.S. soldier was arrested and charged by the U.S. government with illegally using a weapon on behalf of the al-Nusra Front . Eric Harroun , 30 , of Phoenix , was arrested by the FBI after returning to the United States from Syria , where authorities allege he fought with the militant group . He was charged with the alleged use of a rocket-propelled grenade . The organization he allegedly fought with , al-Nusra Front , is linked to al Qaeda in Iraq . Al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for more than 600 attacks in Syria , the Justice Department said . An FBI affidavit says Harroun crossed into Syria in January 2013 and fought against al-Assad 's forces . He posted photos and videos of himself on the Internet handling RPGs and other weapons , it said . Harroun served with the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2003 . Troubled talks . The report by Syrian state TV came on the same day that a leader of Syria 's main rebel coalition said the group may not participate in a conference aimed at brokering an end to the civil war . `` It is difficult to continue when Syrians are constantly being hammered by the Assad regime with the help of outside forces , '' said George Sabra , acting chairman of the National Coalition , in a statement . He cited the siege of Qusayr and attacks on Eastern Gouta , a suburb of Damascus , as well as what he said was an `` invasion '' by Iranian militia members in support of al-Assad . Russia , which supports Damascus , expressed its own reservations . Conditions on the peace talks demanded by the National Coalition are too restrictive , Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters , state news agency ITAR-Tass reported . `` One has the impression that the National Coalition and its regional sponsors are doing their utmost in a bid to prevent the beginning of a political process and resort to all means , including brainwashing in the West , to induce military intervention , '' Lavrov is quoted as saying . `` We regard such approaches as impermissible . '' In addition , the coalition `` is not the sole representative of the Syrian people , '' Lavrov said . `` The coalition has no constructive platform . '' The National Coalition has demanded that al-Assad step aside as a condition for its participation in the talks , which were originally scheduled to be held this month in Geneva , Switzerland , but have been delayed . The Syrian government has insisted that any talks be held without preconditions and has said that al-Assad will finish his term and must be qualified to run again in the 2014 elections . Fighting rages on . Some 3,000 to 4,000 Lebanese Hezbollah fighters have been deployed to Syria , where they are fighting alongside government forces , French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the Foreign Affairs Committee of France 's National Assembly . The Lebanese fighters have been involved in a battle for Qusayr , a town of about 20,000 that sits astride one route to the Syrian coast and another to the Lebanese border . For the rebels , holding Qusayr represents a way of limiting the regime 's ability to sustain itself . On Thursday , the media office of the Syrian Coalition in Istanbul , Turkey , said in an appeal for help that the number of wounded citizens in Qusayr had exceeded 1,000 . The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said the fighting was part of its mission `` to pursue terrorists in Qusayr and its countryside . '' 'One axis ' In an interview broadcast Thursday night by the Hezbollah television station Al-Manar , al-Assad was quoted by Lebanese media as saying , `` Syria and Hezbollah are one axis . '' Hezbollah forces `` are in Lebanon and Syria , on the border area , '' al-Assad said . According to the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper , he said , `` There are groups of ( Hezbollah ) party fighters in the border areas with Lebanon . But the Syrian army is the one fighting and running battles against the armed groups , and will continue in this battle in order to eliminate '' what he described as `` terrorists . '' The president expressed skepticism that the talks proposed for Geneva would prove fruitful , the newspaper reported . Al-Assad is further quoted as saying that `` Syria received the first batch of the Russian S-300 missiles , antiaircraft systems '' and that `` the rest of the shipment will arrive soon . '' `` The contracts are not related to the conflict , '' he said . `` We negotiate with them for various kinds of weapons for years . And Russia is fulfilling these contracts . '' Russia has been criticized by the West for reported sales of six S-300 air defense systems to Syria under a 2010 contract . Moscow , however , has said such deliveries would conform with international law and has denied supplying Syria with weapons that can be used against civilians . CNN 's Stephanie Kotuby , Brian Todd , Tom Watkins , Amir Ahmed and Saad Abedine contributed to this report .
NEW : The UK Foreign Office says it 's aware of the incident . A family member of the woman says the FBI said she was in Afghanistan . The FBI also showed what it said was a Michigan driver 's license and passport . It claimed it belonged to a dead American woman fighting with the rebels .