US man fighting for ISIL reportedly captured in northern Iraq

A US man who apparently defected to fight for Islamic State has been captured in northern Iraq trying to return to Turkey, according to local reports.

The American defector had been attempting to leave Iraq, CBS News reported, citing two sources fromthe Kurdish Peshmerga military force.

Peshmerga forces initially fired warning shots when they saw the man due to fears he may have been a suicide bomber, but he identified himself as a former member of ISIL who wanted to turn himself in, CBS reproted. 

He was identified as Muhammad Jamal Amin, 27, of Virginia, it said, citing Kurdish news organisations.

The Pentagon said it could not immediately confirm the incident. The US Embassy in Baghdad also could not confirm it, CBS said.

CNN also reported the incident and said the fighter was captured near Sinjar and handed over to Kurdish authorities in the region.

Amin, whose father is from Palestine and mother from Iraq, had fought with the militants for a couple of months, it said, citing Kurdish reports.