Fighting against Daesh risky and illegal

Australians keen to assist in the fight against Islamic State should help by providing humanitarian aid, not by going off to war, says Liberal MP Andrew Nikolic.

Mr Nikolic, former commander of Australian troops in Iraq, said he would strongly discourage Australians from travelling to Syria or Iraq to take part in the conflict against IS, also known as Daesh.

"While the vast majority of us find the actions of Daesh abhorrent, it's against the law to get involved in the war in Syria, or to fight with proscribed terrorist organisations in Iraq," he said in a statement.

Mr Nikolic said civilians should leave it to the Australian Defence Force to train and assist Iraqi security forces in their fight to disrupt, degrade and ultimately defeat Daesh.

"There are safer, legal ways for civilians to help people affected by these conflicts other than travelling overseas to fight," he said.

As many as 110 Australians have travelled to the Middle East to fight with Daesh and other terror groups in Syria and Iraq.

A few are fighting against Daesh, most with Kurdish forces. In February, former army reservist Ashley Johnston died while fighting with a Kurdish unit.

The latest to fight against Daesh is Ashley Dyball, 23, of Brisbane. His social media posts indicate he's fighting with Kurdish People's Protection Units which have attracted a number of foreign volunteers.

Mr Nikolic said a list of humanitarian appeals can be found on the Australian Council for International Development website.