Australian fighting with Kurds against IS killed in Syria: monitor

Australian fighting with Kurds against IS killed in Syria: monitor
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Summary There are foreigners fighting on all sides of Syria's war: Abdel Rahman

BEIRUT (AFP) - An Australian who travelled to Syria to join Kurds battling jihadists has been killed, a monitor said Wednesday, adding he was the first Westerner to die fighting alongside the Kurds.

"An Australian man was killed in an assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State against a position of the Kurdish People s Protection Units (YPG) near Tal Hamis in Hasakeh province," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The Observatory had reported the fighter s death on Tuesday, but was unable to confirm his nationality until Wednesday.

"Dozens of Westerners have joined the YPG s ranks. There are foreigners fighting on all sides of Syria s war," said Abdel Rahman.