Alleged American ISIS Defector, From Virginia, Held In Iraq

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) -- An Iraqi Kurdish general says a Palestinian-American member of the Islamic State group has given himself up to an Iraqi Kurdish military unit in the country's north.

Maj. Gen. Feisal Helkani of the Peshmerga forces identified the individual as Mohammed Jamal Amin, a Palestinian-American.

He says Amin surrendered on Monday morning near the town of Sinjar, which was retaken by Iraqi forces from IS militants late last year.

CBS News reports, the man is a resident of Virginia.

Helkani says Amin was carrying with him a large amount of cash, three cell phones and three forms of identification, including a United States driving license.

Iraqi forces have struggled to retake ground from the Islamic State, which despite a series of territorial losses in Iraq and Syria in the past six months, still controls large swaths of land in both countries.

Read more: Alleged American ISIS defector held in Iraq

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