Australians are being warned that they risk death if they go to the Middle East to fight with the Islamic State group.
Assistant Defence Minister Stuart Robert's warning follows the ejection of IS from the Syrian town of Kobane by Kurdish forces backed by US air strikes.
An unnamed US State Department official has said a very large number of foreign jihadists, including Australians, were killed in the months of fighting.
More than 1000 IS fighters are believed to have died.
"The message to all Australians is don't get involved in this fight. You will be killed if you go overseas and join forces with Daesh," Mr Robert told Sky News.
Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State, increasingly used as a derogative term for the group.
Mr Robert says it is almost impossible to verify whether any Australians died in the battle for Kobane.
He says the key message to Australians is not to get involved with the group.
"This fight has a long way to go. It is brutal," he said.
"Don't go to the Middle East and fight or you will not return alive."
Around 90 Australians are believed to have travelled to the Middle East to join IS, with 20 thought to have been killed.
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