Syrian Kurds say they cannot hold foreign jihadists indefinitely

QAMISHLI, northeast Syria (Reuters) - Kurdish-led authorities controlling northeastern Syria will not be able to hold foreign Islamic State fighters indefinitely, and their home countries should take them back, a senior official there said on Thursday.

Abdulkarim Omar, joint head of foreign relations in the Kurdish-led area, told journalists its administration was holding around 500 foreign fighters and 500 family members from around 40 countries, following last year's defeat of Islamic State in nearly all territory it once held in Syria and Iraq.