IRBIL, Iraq -- A British citizen fighting alongside Kurdish forces against the Islamic State has been killed in Syria, a Kurdish commander said Wednesday.
Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, an ex-Royal Marine, was killed Monday in the front-line village of Tel Khuzela, said the Kurdish commander, Redor Khalil.
Another foreign fighter battling with the Kurds, American Jordan Matson, said he was with the body Wednesday and was working to get Scurfield's remains back to Britain.
"We're trying to make contact with his mother to see what her wishes are," Matson said. "Otherwise, he wished to be buried here under an olive tree."
Matson said on his Facebook page that Scurfield, 25, also had Greek citizenship and had served in the Greek army and as a British Royal Marine.
Dozens of foreign fighters have traveled to Syria and neighboring Iraq to help Kurdish militias battling the Islamic State group. Matson and four other foreigners said last month that they arranged to join Kurdish forces through the Facebook page run by the People's Protection Units, the main Kurdish militia fighting in northern Syria.
At least one other foreign fighter, Australian Ashley Johnson, is known to have been killed fighting alongside the Kurds.
The Islamic State, which holds territory in a third of Iraq and Syria, has recruited thousands of foreign fighters, mainly from Europe and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Scurfield's parents, Chris and Vicci Scurfield, are archaeologists who live in the British village of Royston. In an interview Wednesday with Sky News, Vicci Scurfield said the family is "reeling" from the news.
"His flame might have burned briefly, but it burned brightly with love, courage, conviction and honor, and we are very proud of him," the family said in a statement.
The British Foreign Office said it is aware of reports that a British citizen died in Syria.
"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," it said.
Dan Jarvis -- a member of parliament from Barnsley Central, where Scurfield is from -- said Wednesday that the Briton traveled to Syria to provide humanitarian aid.
"My understanding was that he went there for honorable reasons," Jarvis told Sky News. "There are other ways in which people who have these legitimate concerns can make a contribution, supporting charities or [nongovernmental organizations]. The advice is rightly not to go there."
A Section on 03/05/2015