New online gaming craze Pokémon Go spreads to battlefield in IRAQ as soldier spots ‘Squirtle’ while fighting ISIS
Volunteer takes a break from fighting ISIS to snare a 'Squirtle' monster using the wildly popular app
An American soldier has become a viral sensation after taking a rest from battling ISIS in Iraq to try and catch a few Pokémon.
Louis Park, 26, spends his days fighting extremists alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga.
But he decided to set down his machine gun and take an astonishing picture showing the moment he snared a "Squirtle".
The picture then surged across social media, with thousands of people sharing it across the world.
"You kind of sit there and you guard your post and stand by in case anything happens. [ISIS] shoot mortars just about every other day, but we've only had a couple of actual attacks.
Are you a Pokémon addict or do you know any strange places they've been found? Contact jasper.hamill@the-sun.co.uk
Luckily, he's not too distracted during important moments because the virtual Pokémon appear much more common in Dohuk than on the battlefield.
"On the front line I was only able to catch the starters," says Park, "but here in Dohuk they've got gyms and pokéstops and everything."
Find out now how you can download and play Pokémon Go in the UK.
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