Over 200 Americans have gone or tried to go to Syria to fight: FBI

WASHINGTON - Reuters

In this handout photo provided by Kurdish journalist Mohammed Hassan, taken on May 19, 2015, Michael Enright, right foreground, a British actor who has had minor roles in Hollywood films, wears the Kurdish fighters military uniform and flashes the victory sign after he joined them battling against ISIL, near Tel Tamr town, northeast Syria. AP Photo

More than 200 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to fight for Islamic militants, Federal Bureau of Investigation chief James Comey said on July 8.

"We continue to identify individuals who seek to join the ranks of foreign fighters ... and also homegrown violent extremists who may aspire to attack the United States from within," Comey told lawmakers on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. 

The radicalization of Americans by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)  is a top concern for the agency, and earlier on July 8, Comey urged technology companies to allow law enforcement authorities access to encrypted communications to help combat the threat.