Isis: SAS trooper 'single-handedly kills six Islamic State fighters' in ambush

An SAS soldier who was part of an operation to smuggle a secret agent out of Syria and into neighbouring Iraq has reportedly killed six Islamic State (Isis) fighters after his team were ambushed by at least 30 members of the militant group. The elite unit is said to have comprised eight British men.

The unnamed soldier, according to unsubstantiated reports, single-handedly took out six Isis members with an automatic shotgun in a fierce fire-fight which saw eight jihadists killed. A source told the Daily Star Sunday: "It was a classic SAS encounter. They had lost the initiative when the ambush was sprung."

The report claims the troopers had walked into a trap in war-torn Syria and took cover in a ditch as they were being shot at from multiple angles. The team is said to have decided to abort the mission but needed to destroy two enemy positions to secure an escape route.

The source added: "They were out-gunned and out-numbered but the team remained calm and focused. The last thing the jihadis expected was to be attacked, given that the SAS team consisted of eight men and there were at least 30 enemy fighters. The SAS quickly regained the initiative by using courage, aggression and firepower."

IBTimes UK contacted the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to corroborate the reports, but it was neither confirmed nor denied by the government department, who said it does not discuss Special Forces operations.