A U.S.-born ISIS fighter has been detained in northern Iraq, according to reports.
It was not immediately clear if the fighter — identified by local media and the Associated Press as Muhammad Jamal Amin — had been captured or surrendered.
Maj. Gen Feisal Helkani told the AP that Amin was carrying a large amount of cash and U.S. driver’s license when he was taken into Peshmerga custody near the town of Sinjar.
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The Kurdish news agency, Rudaw, said Amin is an American citizen born in Virginia to a Palestinian father and Iraqi mother. The news agency also posted pictures of what appeared to be a Virginia driver’s license and U.S. bank cards.
The State Department said it was aware of reports that a U.S. citizen allegedly fighting for ISIS was in Peshmerga custody.
“We are in touch with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to determine the veracity of these reports,” it said in a statement.
Officials in Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government did not immediately respond to NBC News requests for comment. A local Peshmerga commander said Amin entered Syria from Turkey two months ago and then traveled to Mosul, according to Rudaw. U.S.-backed Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been battling to push back ISIS from areas of northern Iraq. This article first appeared on NBCNews.com.
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