British Islamic State suspects are set to go on trial in Syria from next month, ending a years-long impasse between the Kurdish authorities holding them and the UK Government over their fate.

The cases of 10 British Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) detainees are due to be heard alongside 2,000 other foreigners currently in the detention of Western-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in north-east Syria.

Thousands more foreign women and their children are also being held in crowded camps.

The UK and most other Western members of the international coalition against Isil have so far refused to repatriate their nationals from Syria, citing security concerns. The Kurds, meanwhile, have been warning for nearly two years that they cannot hold them forever.

The trials may be looked upon favourably by Western governments as, unlike Iraq and the Syrian state, the Kurds do not impose the death penalty - in line with Britain’s opposition to its use.

While there was no official announcement, Abdulkarim Omar, the co-chair of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Autonomous Administration, yesterday informed Finland of their intention to start trying foreign Isil suspects, with or without their home country’s cooperation.

The Telegraph confirmed the development - which would see foreigners on trial in Kurdish courts for the first time - with three independent sources.

“No state accepted to repatriate their own ISIS members and try them at home,” said Mr Omar after meeting with the Finnish government. “Then, we proposed to set up an international court for ISIS in this region, but sadly this was also without result.

“As these prisoners must be tried, we have now made the decision to start putting these foreign ISIS fighters on trial, starting at the beginning of March,” he said.

Thousands of local Isil suspects have already been tried in counter-terrorism courts in north-eastern Syria, an autonomous area known as Rojava to Kurds. The Kurdish legal system is based on international law and hence does not execute prisoners.