A U.S. citizen who joined ISIS and fought against U.S.-led forces in Syria has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

WASHINGTON — A naturalized U.S. citizen who joined the Islamic State (ISIS) and engaged in combat against U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras handed down the sentence to Lirim Sylejmani, 49, originally from Kosovo and a longtime resident of Chicago, after he pleaded guilty in December to receiving military training from a foreign terrorist organization.

According to court documents, in November 2015, Sylejmani traveled with his family to Syria via Turkey to join ISIS. He adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi and underwent military training, learning to operate weapons such as AK-47s, M-16 rifles, and grenades. He participated in at least one battle against U.S.-led forces and was wounded in combat in 2016.

In February 2019, Sylejmani and his family were captured by Syrian forces in Baghouz, Syria. He was transferred to U.S. custody in September 2020 to face charges in Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors emphasized that Sylejmani's actions were deliberate and endangered his family by bringing them into a war zone. "This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country," stated U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. "Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again."

Sylejmani's defense attorneys argued that he is not a committed jihadist and expressed his deep remorse. "He is guilt-ridden for his actions and the harm he has visited on his family, who remain detained in a ... ," they wrote. "He wishes only to complete his ... ."

The case underscores ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to prosecute individuals who have joined foreign terrorist organizations and participated in hostilities against American forces.