British Army soldier 'travels to join fight against Isis'

The soldier, aged 19, is on leave from his Cyprus-based regiment

He reportedly told friends that he intends to spend a year fighting alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga (Reuters)

A teenager is believed to have become the first serving soldier in the British Army to travel to the Middle East to fight against Isis.

The soldier, aged 19, is on leave from his Cyprus-based regiment, and has reportedly told friends that he intends to spend a year fighting alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga.

The soldier, who has not been named, said he was with Britons and a Canadian, according to a text message sent to his parents several days ago. He said he had been learning Arabic. “I don’t know how to explain it but I really want and need to do this and I will be safe,” he said in one message, according to Sky News.

He is understood to be currently on leave but faces arrest if he overstays his time away from his regiment, reported to be 2nd Battalion, the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.