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Kurdish forces have besieged Isis fighters in Kobani, say activists Kurdish forces besiege Isis fighters in Kobani
(about 5 hours later)
Kurdish forces have besieged Islamic State (Isis) fighters who entered the northern Syrian town of Kobani, according to activists who say two days of clashes have left more than 100 dead. Kurdish forces have besieged Islamic State fighters who entered the northern Syrian town of Kobani, according to activists who say two days of clashes have left more than 100 civilians dead.
Related: Islamic State attacks Kobani and pro-regime troops in Syria's northRelated: Islamic State attacks Kobani and pro-regime troops in Syria's north
Kobani-based Kurdish activist Mustafa Bali said small groups of jihadis were still in the town and had taken civilians hostage. Mustafa Bali, a Kobani-based Kurdish activist, said small groups of jihadis were still in the town and had taken civilians hostage. He said Kurdish fighters were besieging three areas where Isis fighters had taken up positions.
He added that Kurdish fighters were besieging three areas where Isis fighters took up positions. Isis has suffered setbacks over the past two weeks, including the loss of the Syrian border town of Tal Abyad, one of the main points for the Isis to bring in foreign fighters and supplies.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that the attack on Kobani and its suburbs left 120 civilians dead. Kobani, on Syria’s border with Turkey, had become a proud symbol of Kurdish resistance after the town and its defenders, backed by US-led coalition air strikes, repelled an extended Isis assault earlier this year.
Bali said more than 100 civilians were killed in Kobani as well as 40 Isis fighters, whose bodies were still lying in the streets. The town was besieged by Isis for months last year and into January, but Isis fighters were driven out by Kurdish militia six months ago.
Kobani, on Syria’s border with Turkey, had become a symbol of Kurdish resistance against Isis extremists. Kurdish officials said Isis militants infiltrated the town on Thursday wearing Syrian rebel uniforms and carrying flags of the mainstream Free Syrian Army to deceive Kobani’s Kurdish defenders. They set off three car bombs and took up positions inside Kobani, the officials said.
Bali said: “Fighting is still ongoing in the city. It was quiet overnight but fighting resumed Friday morning.” He said Isis fighters were holding hostages in a house near Mashta Nour hospital, in another house near the town’s cultural centre, and in a home close to Mahdathe school.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack on Kobani and its suburbs had left 120 civilians dead. Bali said more than 100 civilians were killed in Kobani, as well as 40 Isis fighters, whose bodies were still lying in the streets. He said 54 civilians had been buried in Kobani since Thursday.
A Facebook page that posts Isis statements said a group of inghimasiyoun – a term that the group uses to refer to infiltrators who enter areas behind their enemies’ lines – entered Kobani and were fighting street battles inside the town.
Bali said some Isis snipers had taken up positions on the roofs of buildings and opened fire on people in the streets.
The main Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, said it had closed the primary border crossing point between Turkey and Tal Abyad for security reasons.
Elsewhere, the Observatory reported a second day of clashes between Isis fighters and Syrian government forces in the north-eastern city of Hasakah
, which has been jointly controlled by Kurdish fighters and the government.
Syria’s state news agency Sana said government warplanes attacked Isis positions nearby, killing and wounding dozens of militants.
Hasakah’s governor, Mohammed Zaal al-Ali told state Syrian TV: “Warplanes and helicopters have been attacking their hideouts since the early morning.” He called on thousands of residents who had fled to safer areas to return home. “The situation today is better than yesterday,” he said.
Al-Jazeera reported on Friday that one of its cameramen, Mohammed al-Assfar, was killed while covering battles between Syrian troops and rebels in the southern city of Daraa.
Daraa was the birthplace of the uprising against the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in March 2011.