A Massachusetts native who was killed battling ISIS in Syria alongside Kurdish fighters is being mourned and laid to rest Wednesday.
Family and friends, along with a group from the New England Kurdish Association, gathered for Keith Broomfield's funeral at the Grace Baptist Church in Hudson. Broomfield, who had ties to Bolton and Westminster, will be buried afterward during a private ceremony.
Abdul Tammo, of Hartford, Connecticut, said they're supporting Broomfield because he "passed away in our land for us."
Funeral organizers said they expected attendance to surpass 500. A photo distributed to mourners shows Broomfield on a motorcycle that is now parked in the church's foyer.
Broomfield's loved ones had gathered Tuesday night at the church to remember him.
The 36-year-old, who had no military training, is believed to be the first U.S. citizen to die fighting alongside Kurdish forces against the Islamic State group.
Kurdish officials have said Broomfield died in battle in a Syrian village near the town of Kobani on the Turkish border. He joined a Syrian Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State group on Feb. 24.
