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| Syria death reported of ex-British marine fighting alongside Kurds | Syria death reported of ex-British marine fighting alongside Kurds |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A former Royal Marine has become the first Briton to be killed while fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State in Syria, the Kurdish militia has told the BBC. | A former Royal Marine has become the first Briton to be killed while fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State in Syria, the Kurdish militia has told the BBC. |
| The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) named him as Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, from Barnsley. | The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) named him as Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, from Barnsley. |
| A British pro-Kurdish activist said he had informed Mr Scurfield's family of the death, at the request of the YPG. | A British pro-Kurdish activist said he had informed Mr Scurfield's family of the death, at the request of the YPG. |
| The Foreign Office said it was "aware of reports" of a Briton dying in Syria. | The Foreign Office said it was "aware of reports" of a Briton dying in Syria. |
| The YPG said the "British volunteer martyr" died in an area west of the city of Qamishli on Monday. | |
| A Kurdish commander said clashes against Islamic State (IS) in that area were continuing. | |
| The BBC's Guney Yildiz said the YPG had asked Mr Scurfield's family if they could bury him in Syria "as a martyr". | |
| 'Extremely difficult' | |
| In a statement, the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Syria. | |
| "The UK has advised for some time against all travel to Syria, where all UK consular services are suspended. | |
| "As we do not have any representation in Syria it is extremely difficult to get any confirmation of deaths or injuries and our options for supporting British nationals there are extremely limited." | |
| The BBC understands about 100 Western volunteers - including some Britons - are fighting as part of the 30,000-strong Kurdish forces. | |
| More than 500 Britons are believed to have travelled to join IS. | |
| BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the UK government's position was "probably going to lead to accusations of double standards". | |
| He said if Britons went to Syria and were suspected of trying to join IS they would get their "collar felt at Heathrow" - but there "seems to be a silence about people going to fight on the other side". |