A SOLDIER brought up in Reading has flown out to Syria to fight Islamic insurgents.

Afghan war veteran James Hughes, who left the army in November 2013 after five years service, is fighting so-called Islamic State insurgents in Rojava with friend Jamie Read and the Kurdish People's Protection Unit, the YPG.

The pair left the UK on Monday, November 10, and travelled to Erbil in Iraq before making their way to the city in northern Syria where they are fighting with The Lions Of Rojava security forces.

Mr Hughes, 26, was brought up in Reading and joined the army as an infantryman in 2009 where he was posted to the second battalion the Mercian Regiment based in Belfast in Northern Ireland before serving on three tours of Afghanistan.

After leaving the army he set up The Pathfinder Group, Terrorism and Conflict Research, with Mr Read, which specialises in surveillance and intelligence.

The Terrorism and Conflict Research Center T.P.G posted a picture of the two men on Facebook, writing: “James Hughes Jamie Read Joshua Bell Jordan matson - YPG busy being heroes and looking good doing it ...”

Mr Hughes, who lived in Belfast until moving to Malvern in Worcestershire, is the managing director of the firm, while Mr Read, from Lanarkshire is operations director. He has a sister, Lara Hughes, who also lives in Malvern.

Both men have denied being mercenaries after coming under fire in the national media.

In a statement posted on their company’s Facebook page yesterday they said they do not seek recognition or remuneration and have refused to give the media information that puts lives at risk.

They added: “In return and in their frustration they call us “mercenaries” and print sensationalist articles that are disingenuous and misinformed.

“This is not a religious war nor is it a racial war, this is a war of good against evil - a magnificent simplicity.

“And those that are good will continue to fight regardless of what the media portrays us as and regardless of the media attempts to pervert the beliefs that motivate us, and in the end good will win because there are still enough good men who refuse to do nothing.”

Do you know James from your school days? Call us on 0118 955 3305 or email news@readingchronicle.co.uk