American Islamic State militant surrenders in Syria: US official

A US citizen fighting for the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria has surrendered to a US-backed alliance, a defence official said on Thursday.

"We are aware that a US citizen surrendered to the SDF on or about September 12," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The officials did not give the exact location of the surrender nor the current location of the American.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting IS, told reporters earlier that he was aware of the reports but referred questions to the State Department.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The SDF, or Syrian Democratic Forces, are a largely Kurdish alliance that also includes Syrian Arab fighters.

The group is supported by US weapons, air strikes and intelligence as they battle IS in Syria, where the fight is currently focused on Raqqa and the Euphrates River valley.

Earlier, Dillon, said the SDF "has taken note" to ensure that any fighters they capture are brought to "the proper authorities".

It is not the first time an American citizen fighting for IS has been detained.

In June, a US man who had travelled to Raqqa in December 2015 was convicted of helping IS.

Mohamad Jamal Khweis had agreed to become a suicide bomber but surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq after becoming disillusioned.