ONE of the last remaining British foreign fighters trying to overthrow the Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad is still alive and well.

Amer Deghayes, 28, left his home in Saltdean in 2013 to join the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra front.

One of his brothers, Abdullah, 18, was killed fighting in Syria in 2016 and another brother, Jaffar, 17, was killed in October 2014.

Their friend, Ibrahim Kamara, from Brighton, who also fought in Syria, also died in the conflict.

Deghayes is currently in Idlib, north west Syria.

Syria has said fighters for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham should leave the country as they believe the militant group is “complicating the situation”.

Deghayes responded to criticism in a new interview, saying: “Nobody has asked me to leave or said that I made it worse, to be honest.”

He says he will continue to fight the Syrian government and he did not fear death or capture.

He added: “If I believed the only options for me and other foreign fighters are death or capture I would have been gone a long time ago.

“For me, in Syria, there’s always changes.

“There’s always obstacles. There’s always difficulty but I have belief.”

He has previously told The Argus the reason he chose to go to Syria with his brothers and friend was because they wanted to free the Syrian people.

He said: “The reason me and my brothers went forth to Syria is to give victory to our brothers and sisters in Syria in removing the oppressive secular regime and replacing it with the Justice of Islam.

“It is our duty as able Muslims to support them in such cause as ordered by our Lord.

“We are of those that would support the oppressed against their oppressors even if they were non-Muslim, let alone the Syrians being of us and in extreme need of strength.”

Fellow British foreign fighter Abu Yousef said they will not lay down their weapons.

He added: “So if I lay down my weapons now, what kind of assurance will I have that the regime will not continue raping and killing.

“Of course there’s no assurance. No superpower in the world will come in and save the day just because I put my weapon down.

“These Syrians, my Muslim brethren here, even the non-Muslims among them who the regime want to kill.

“If we can be assured that they’re not going to be slaughtered, raped, suppressed and oppressed, by me disappearing then come here and assure me of that.”