A serving British soldier who joined Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting Islamic State (IS) militants has been found and is being taken home, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said today.

The man, who British media last week reported had told friends and family he planned to spend a year in the Middle East, was the first serving soldier to join Kurdish forces. A small number of former serviceman had already done so.

"The soldier reported as missing last week has now been located and is being returned to his unit," Fallon told parliament, declining to comment further on the details of the case.

IS has caused international alarm by capturing large expanses of Iraq and Syria, declaring an Islamic "caliphate" and erasing borders between the two. Peshmerga forces have been fighting IS in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Fallon said in total nearly 600 British service personnel were involved in the fight against IS, including more than 140 in Iraq. Britain has been taking part in air raids against IS in Iraq and in training Iraqi and Peshmerga forces on the ground.

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