Another American has died in Syria after joining forces with the Islamic militant group ISIS — one of a flow of foreign fighters joining the group's ranks.
MSNBC: "Douglas McAuthur McCain of San Diego was killed over the weekend fighting on ISIS's behalf in a battle against the Free Syrian Army."
NBC says it's seen photos and video of the battle where McCain was killed and has even seen his passport. U.S. officials confirmed his death Tuesday afternoon.
McCain was a Minnesota native who friends describe as a basketball-loving goofball, but he gradually became more radical and more sympathetic to jihadi groups over the past few years.
He's part of a movement that has intelligence officials worried: foreign fighters joining militant groups in Syria and Iraq in never-before-seen numbers.
Back in the spring, we learned that an American citizen had apparently carried out a suicide bombing attack in Iraq, and last week U.K. sources revealed the knife-weilding militant in the video showing U.S. journalist James Foley spoke with a British accent and was believed to be a British citizen.
Last month, Attorney General Eric Holder warned that dozens of Americans were known to be fighting for ISIS or other militant groups in Syria, and there are other worrying numbers from around the globe.
CNN: "It's believed that 100 Americans are in that group now, more than 1,000 Europeans."
ABC Australia: "There are about 150 Australians who have been or are still fighting with opposition groups in Syria and beyond."
ISIS in particular has made recruiting foreign jihadis a main focus, luring them with the promise of living in a true Islamic state and of fighting infidels.
And intelligence services are having a hard time keeping tabs on them all. The American who carried out the suicide bombing in Iraq was able to return to the U.S. after receiving his training.
CBS: "That's the real concern for U.S. counter-terrorism officials: do we know of the Americans who are going there to fight, and do we know if they're coming back to attack in place here in the U.S."
Recent reports say the group added more than 6,000 new members in July alone, with around 1,000 coming from outside Syria and Iraq.
