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Two Britons and Irish man who fought against Isis freed from prison Two Britons and Irish man who fought against Isis freed from prison
(about 2 hours later)
Two Britons and an Irish man have been freed from jail after being detained on their way home from fighting against Isis.  Two British men and an Irishman have been released from prison in northern Iraq after being arrested while travelling home from Syria, where they were fighting against so-called Islamic State (IS).
Joe Akerman, a former soldier, and Jac Holmes, were incarcerated after crossing a border with Syria along with Irishman Joshua Molloy. Jac Holmes from Bournemouth, Joe Ackerman from Halifax and Joshua Molloy from Co Laois in Ireland had been detained on 15 April after reportedly trying to illegally cross a border into Iraq.
The three had spent months fighting against the so-called Islamic State before being imprisonedin Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. They were held for more than a week in a prison in the Kurdish city, Erbil. British diplomats worked on the ground on behalf of all three men – saying that they do consular work for Irish citizens where Ireland does not have representation.
It is understood they were freed last night. Shortly after their release Mr Ackerman wrote a Facebook status with the word “Free”, which recieved hundreds of comments from his friends and family expressing relief and celebrating his release.
Declan Molloy, the father of Joshua, said emotions in the family were running wild: Mr Akerman's mother Maggie Ackerman also took to Facebook to inform worries friends and relatives of the news, writing: “The news we've been waiting for has finally arrived. Joe Akerman, Jac Holmes and Josh Molloy finally coming home. [...] Amazing news”.
"We are all delighted here. We are jumping with joy to know that he is out," he said. She later wrote: “Dancing singing shouting hooooooray”.
"You know that Christmas morning feeling, it's a bit like that, when you find your most sought-after present under the tree, the dream present. That's how we feel." Meanwhile Declan Molloy, the father of Joshua, said emotions in the family were running wild: “We are all delighted here. We are jumping with joy to know that he is out,” he said.
A Foreign and Commonwealth spokeswoman confirmed the release of the two Britons. “You know that Christmas morning feeling, it's a bit like that, when you find your most sought-after present under the tree, the dream present. That's how we feel.”
"We are helping two British men make arrangements to leave Kurdistan after they were released from custody," she said. It is understood that the men had fighting been with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), a force reported to have between 25,000 and 50,000 fighters resisting the advance of ISIS in northern Syria.
It is understood they had been with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a force reported to have in the region of 25,000-50,000 fighters trying to quell IS in northern Syria. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are helping two British men make arrangements to leave Kurdistan after they were released from custody.”
PA