A British soldier who left his base to fight Islamic State has been found, the Defence Secretary has said.
Sky News reports that Michael Fallon said the 19-year-old was being returned to his unit after disappearing to join Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.
Breitbart London reported last week that the soldier, who has not been named, had told his parents of his plans in a text message.
One message said: “I’ve gone to join the Kurds in Syria and Iraq. 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.”
Another read: “I have good skills and I can speak the language I can help these people and help with this fight.”
In a third, he added: “I’m so sorry to put you through this but I do good, I will get in trouble for being AWOL but it’s minor and no prison sentence.”
However, speaking during House of Commons defence questions today, the Defence Secretary said: “The House may also want to know the soldier reported as missing last week has now been located and is being returned to his unit.”
It is not known whether he will face disciplinary action.
Last year, two British veterans, James Hughes and Jamie Reed, also travelled to Syria to take on Islamic State. In a Facebook post, they wrote: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
“This is not a religious war nor is it a racial war, this is a war of good against evil – a magnificent simplicity.
“And those that are good will continue to fight regardless of what the media portrays us as and regardless of the media attempts to pervert the beliefs that motivate us, and in the end good will win because there are still enough good men who refuse to do nothing.”
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