A defiant fighter from the mainly Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) gave Islamic State fighters the bird after being nearly struck by a rocket in eastern Syria.

Video shows the YPG fighter rising out of some kind of rampart surrounded by sandbags in the war-torn Deir el-Zour province.

The man can be heard saying, "Oh s**t!" before an audible whoosh and then an explosion takes places in the near distance.

The fighter who posts regularly from the frontline on Instagram said the explosion was a result of an IS rocket.

The video was filmed near Baghouz, one of the last strongholds of IS, on May 29, weeks after US-backed forces declared victory over the militants.

After the rocket explodes, he screams in relief and then gives a one-finger salute from both hands and shouts, "F*** you!"

The man's reaction garnered praise on social media, with one commenter saying on Instagram: "Much respect. Love the way you threw the double bird."

He told Newsflare: "[I] went back to fight [in] 2015 after Isis killed my uncle.

"They closed in on the towns [where] my family lived, so I had to go back defend my family and land and people."

Ypg fighter Ghanima031 almost gets hit by an isis rocket in south Syria Deir ezzor in isis last stronghold of Baghuz 2019