The NT Labor party has sacked its president following revelations he has left Australia to join the fight against Islamic State.
Matthew Gardiner has been stood down as president and his Labor membership suspended, the party has announced in a statement that refers any further questions to Australian Federal Police.
It follows reports Mr Gardiner, who has an army background, had left the country and was headed for Iraq or Syria where he plans to join Kurdish militants and fight against Islamic State (IS).
"Today the executive committee of the NT ALP has stood down Matthew Gardiner as president of the party and suspended his membership," NT ALP secretary Kent Rowe said late on Sunday.
"Territory Labor will be making no further comment as there is an Australian Federal Police investigation."
Mr Gardiner, 43, served as an Australian Army combat engineer in Somalia in the early 1990s.
His Facebook page reportedly shows contact with people who support the Kurdish militia.
In recent days, Mr Gardiner also resigned as secretary of the NT branch of the hospitality union United Voice.
The AFP has confirmed Mr Gardiner was the subject of an active investigation.
"The AFP is aware of this matter," an AFP spokesperson said.
"As this matter is part of an ongoing investigation it is not appropriate to comment further."
Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton said the fight against IS should be left to Australia's military, not "cowboys" who put themselves in harm's way.
"We don't want to see cowboys running off participating in conflicts, whether or not they were trained or once part of the ADF," Mr Dutton told Sky Television on Sunday.
"It's just not helpful for people to run off on their own course believing they're doing some good when potentially they're getting in harm's way.
"If we have to divert resources to provide support to them or to rescue them or if they've become captive themselves, it's just not a helpful outcome."
IS has shown it will ransom or kill foreign captives, knowing they are potent propaganda tools that guarantee international attention.
"We just don't want to see Australians killed regardless of whether they're well-intentioned or not," Mr Dutton also said.
Attorney General George Brandis has received an AFP brief on the Gardiner case.
A spokesperson for Mr Brandis said Australians who join militant causes overseas face imprisonment should they survive and return.
Australians who wanted to oppose the actions of the Islamic State group should instead donate to humanitarian groups operating in affected areas, a spokesperson said.
A spokesman for Federal Labor Leader Bill Shorten declined to comment while the veracity of media reports was being verified.
Around 90 Australians are understood to have travelled to the Middle East to join militant causes.
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