US Looking Into Report American Citizen Killed Fighting Alongside Kurdish YPG

Earlier in the day, Kurdish People’s Protection Units said a US volunteer had died from a Daesh bombardment while helping civilians escape from Manbij.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States is trying to confirm a report that US volunteer William Savage was killed fighting with Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to liberate the Syrian city of Manbij, a US Department of State official told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"We are looking into reports that a US citizen was killed in Syria," the official said. "We have no further information to provide at this time."

Earlier on Wednesday, the YPG said in a statement that Savage was severely injured by Daesh bombardment while helping civilians to escape from Manbij before dying from his injuries on August 10.

Savage, originally of the US state of Maryland, joined the Kurdish fighters in 2015 and had participated in a number of anti-Daesh operations. He adopted the Kurdish name Amed Kobane.

Savage is the fourth US citizen to be killed while fighting alongside Kurdish forces in Syria. On July 21, the YPG announced that Nevada-born volunteer Levi Jonathan Shirley was killed in the Manbij operation.

The Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) recaptured Manbij on August 13 after a 73-day campaign against Daesh.

Daesh is outlawed in Russia and many other nations around the world.