A man from Buffalo has been killed while fighting ISIS alongside Kurdish forces in Syria, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Nicholas Warden, 29, was one of two Americans killed last week on the outskirts of Raqqa, according to the article and a statement released by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, known as the YPG.
A fellow YPG fighter tells the Post that Warden served with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and the French Foreign Legion. According to the article, his father said that he had “extensive military experience.”
In a video, Warden said he joined the YPG in February to fight the Islamic State because of the attacks inspired by the terrorist group in places such as San Bernardino and Orlando.
The U.S. State Department issued the following statement:
"We are aware of reports that two U.S. citizens were killed while fighting in Syria. We have no further comment at this time.
Private U.S. citizens are strongly discouraged from traveling to Syria to take part in the conflict. The U.S. government does not support this activity, and our ability to provide consular assistance to individuals who are injured or kidnapped, or to the families of individuals who die as a result of taking part in the conflict is extremely limited."
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly has more in his report.
