Jac Holmes: British sniper who fought IS killed by landmine in Raqqa

A British man who travelled to Syria to fight Islamic State has died while clearing landmines in the former IS-held city of Raqqa, his mother has said.

Sniper Jac Holmes, 24, from Bournemouth, had fought alongside the Kurdistan People's Protection Units (YPG) since January 2015.

Angie Blannin said she last spoke to him at the weekend, discussing how he would hopefully be home for Christmas.

Fighting in every major battle, he had been surrounded by IS fighters at times, Mrs Blannin said of her only child.

Nevertheless, his battle injuries had been limited to a gunshot wound to his arm and three cracked ribs.

Last week, the Syrian Democratic Forces, made up of Kurdish and Arab fighters, said military operations had ended in Islamic State's former de facto capital in Syria .

Mr Holmes, a former painter and decorator with no previous military experience, was killed on Monday.

Kurdish officials said he had been clearing mines to help civilians.

Despite details being sketchy, Mrs Blannin said she was "guessing he stepped on a landmine or one went off close to him, or it was a suicide vest".

"But I don't know," she added. "It was an IED - that probably covers every base."

:: Raqqa broken in every sense after Islamic State occupation

Mrs Blannin said she was "extremely proud" of her son, who thought the West should have been doing more to fight Islamic State.

"He felt that it was not just a Syrian problem, or Middle Eastern problem, it was a world problem," she explained.

"He wanted to go and do something about that and not just be a keyboard warrior."

:: The rise and fall of Islamic State in Raqqa

Mrs Blannin was "completely shocked" when her son announced he was going to fight IS.

"This was the boy who liked a nice bed, and a nice pillow," she said.

"When he first went there I thought he would probably last about six weeks ... and he will want to come home.

"But he stuck it, and he loved it.

"I think it made him. He learnt the language - he spoke fluent Kurdish - he integrated very well and had so much respect from the commanders and his peers."

Mrs Blannin added: "He was a boy when he went, but my God, he definitely died a man and I am extremely proud of him.

"All my family are incredibly proud."