Irishman Joshua Molloy is due to return home after a spell fighting against ISIS in Syria.

He was arrested by Kurdish authorities a couple of weeks ago, but released soon after.

However, Kurdish Foreign Affairs Minister Falah Mustafa has told Newstalk that while efforts by individuals to support the Kurds are "appreciated", they are more likely to "complicate" matters.

"The best support that foreigners can give us is to lobby for us - to encourage their parliaments, to encourage their governments to help", he said.

"We thank them for the initiative", but in this situation but "nobody knows who is who" and you have to be "suspicious" of everyone, "especially anyone who is carrying a gun", he warned.

He urged governments like Ireland to support them diplomatically through aid funding and diplomatic channels.

And he also asked the public to "support us socially...any support that can be given through media, social media, thorough the institutions - that would be helpful"

Mr Mustafa also said they they "have enough confidence" in the Kurdish Peshmerga in fighting ISIS - but need more support by way of military and humanitarian resources.

Fights need "arrangements and discipline" rather than random individuals, he concluded.

He spoke to Newstalk.com's Shona Murray in Erbil.

It has been nearly two years since ISIS took over the strategic city of Mosul - Iraq’s second largest city.

And in March, the Iraqi government declared it was beginning its military operation to retake Mosul from the so-called Islamic State.

Shona Murray has been to the district of Makhmour, where operations against ISIS are starting.

She has been talking to civilians there. 'Ahmed' was tortured and accused of spying for the coalition. 

He says civilians are bearing the brunt as ISIS comes under fire.