A FATHER-of-four who has returned from fighting ISIS extremists in Iraq has told how he felt compelled to defend his homeland.

Yasir Abdulla, who works as a security guard in Keighley, has completed two tours of duty protecting 40 Kurd villages in the north of the country which belong to his family's tribe and only returned home last week.

"I went out in August then came home to spend Christmas with my family here and then went back out to join my father, who is a tribal leader of 1,000 men in villages around the town of Shekhan," said Mr Abdulla, 36, who describes himself as a proud Kurd.

"We are of the Sharafani tribe, Sunni Muslims, but we have lived happily for hundreds of years with Shi'ites, Christians and Yazidis in our villages.

"And now everyone has united to fight ISIS.

"All of the tribes have joined together and we fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the Peshmerga, the military forces in Kurdistan.

"We only trust each other - those we have always known."

Mr Abdulla left Iraq 15 years ago during Saddam Hussein's persecution of Kurdish people and found safety in the UK.

"I've lived in Keighley for the last 13 years, but seeing on television what ISIS is doing, killing and making half a million refugees in my country, I decided to fight alongside my father and brothers," he said.

"It is our land and has been for hundreds of years, bought with gold coins and we will never give it up. We will fight to the death.

"And I'd say to those who might go from Keighley or Bradford or wherever to fight with ISIS - only death awaits you. You will not return."

Mr Abdullah bought basic military kit on auction site Ebay and headed to Iraq.

Arriving in his home region, where he has 200 cousins, Mr Abdulla bought himself an US-made M4 automatic carbine and joined armoured patrols of checkpoints and took part in fire-fights with IS attackers.

"Since the time of my great, great grandfather it has always been war, war, war - so knowing how to use a gun is normal there," he said.

"Sometime I used the M4 or other times an RPG.

"Our village was only ten minutes drive from the frontline which was sometimes attacked by more than 200 ISIS fighters.

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"I had bullets, grenades and missiles fired at me, but I know it was the right thing to do and I will go back again if needed."

Mr Abdulla's tribe is also helping to protect an oil well in the area which has workers from the UK, Australia and Canada.

"There are also American intelligence people who call in air strikes against ISIS," he said.

"We took prisoners and any captives were handed over to the local police to be investigated," he said.

During his visit he heard terrifying stories from family members including how ISIS had lured a mother to a camp in the belief she would see her captive son - then fed her a stew made from his remains.

"I did not see such things, but I heard about them," Mr Abdulla said.

"Kurdish people have always had to defend ourselves against Saddam or whoever and now it is the turn of ISIS.

"But this is our land and has been for centuries, we know every rock, every riverbed.

"And the people who live there of all religions will fight to protect it - there is no racism between us.

"But what ISIS is doing is against true religion and so it cannot win.

"If anyone leaves here to go and fight with them they will come against people like me who will fight to the death to stop them.

"Anyone thinking of going has been brainwashed and I say to them - your family is here in Bradford or Keighley or wherever you come from.

"You are not going to help your family by going to Iraq as I did.

"You are wrong and you are just going to kill and terrorise innocent people."