Man is said to have told his family he is joining Kurdish peshmerga because ‘these guys need our help’

A serving British soldier is believed to have travelled to the Middle East to fight against Islamic State.



The man, understood to be 19, reportedly left his base after telling his family he was joining the Kurdish peshmerga in their battle against the extremist group because “these guys need our help”.

He told relatives two days ago that he was leaving and that he intended to spend a year in the region, according to Sky News. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We are aware of these reports and are looking into them.”

The soldier, who joined up at the age of 16 after leaving school, had reportedly been learning Arabic.

“I’ve gone to join the Kurds in Syria and Iraq,” he wrote to his family, according to Sky News. “I’m with other British people and a Canadian at the moment. I don’t know how to explain it to you but I really want and need to do this and I will be safe.”

In December it emerged that two former British soldiers had travelled to Syria to fight against Isis after feeling “compelled” to take up arms following the murder of the British aid volunteer Alan Henning.