Western fighters help Kurdish forces in Syria battle ISIL

International fighters, some of whom are former members of the military and others with zero combat experience, are in Syria to help Kurdish forces in their fight against ISIL militants.

Hewal Sores, left, a 21-year old from the UK and Hewal Agir, a 23-year-old from the US, nick-named by Kurdish fighters, guard a post in the outskirts of the north-western Syrian town of Tal Tamr, nearShow more

TAL TAMR, SYRIA // Foreign fighters Hewal Sores and Hewal Agir lie low inside a shallow pit as they guard their post in the outskirts of the north-western Syrian town of Tal Tamr, near the border with Turkey.

Having left their families in Britain and the United States respectively, they came to Syria to help Kurdish forces in their fight against ISIL militants who have seized control of large parts of Iraq and Syria since June last year.

They are part of the international fighting force battling alongside fighters from the Kurdish People Protection Unit (YPG) in Tal Tamr.

Other foreign fighters hail from Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, and the men are between 22 and 67 years old.

Some have no combat experience, while others are former soldiers such as former US marines Hewal Agit and Hewal Amed.

The men’s nicknames were given to them by their Kurdish counterparts who are also fighting under YPG commanders.

As very few YPG fighters speak English, the foreign fighters have mostly been assigned to fight together.

* The National staff and Agence France-Presse