A MILITARY-trained Scot has travelled to Syria to take part in fighting against terrorist group Islamic State.
Jamie Read, of Newmains, Lanarkshire, appears to have joined a group defending the northern city of Kobani against the jihadists.
He is pictured on his Facebook page alongside American Jordan Matson who has links with the "Lions of Rojava", an offshoot of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, the YPG.
Both men are wearing full combat fatigues and holding high-powered weapons in the photograph posted on November 20.
Mr Read, who claims to have been trained by the French Army, suggests on Facebook that he has been involved in a gun battle.
His Facebook friends offer encouraging messages to which Mr Read responds: "...miss you lads hard work over here."
It appears that Mr Read arrived in Syria recently after a message posted on November 5 revealed: "It looks like all the hard work has paid off I got my good news, most of you know what I'm doing for those that don't you will have to wait haha can't really say on here but all I can say is this time next week I will be living the dream." He is believed to have joined other Brits who are taking on IS in Syria as part of the "Lions of Rojava".
The group also has a Facebook page where people are urged to join and help "send terrorists to hell and save humanity" from IS.
Graham Penrose, a spokesman for the men, claimed they were motivated to go and fight after seeing what was happening in the bloody conflict, including in Kobani. He said: "Over the course of the last 12 months, the lack of assistance that the Kurds in particular have received in trying to protect themselves motivated the guys to see if there was some assistance they could lend.
"They are not being paid, they are receiving no payment, there is no promises of payments, no payment in kind, they are not participating for any commercial gain. They are simply out there to help people who are in need of help." The government believes more than 500 Brits have joined the conflict in Syria in support of IS, with Prime Minister David Cameron threatening that they could be made stateless. Questions have now been raised about whether the same would apply to those who fly out to support Kurdish fighters and whether or not the men are committing criminal or terrorist acts.
A Home Office spokesman said: "The UK advises against all travel to Syria and parts of Iraq. Anyone who does travel to these areas, for whatever reason, is putting themselves in considerable danger.
"The best way to help the people of these countries is to donate to registered charities that have ongoing relief operations, not by taking part in a conflict overseas, which can be an offence under both criminal and terror laws.
"People who commit, plan and support acts of terror abroad and seek to return to the UK will be prosecuted by the UK authorities.
"A Counter-Terrorism Bill will be introduced later this week, which will include new powers to control the return of and impose strict conditions on British nationals we suspect have been involved in terrorist activity abroad."
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