A Syrian Kurdish official called on the international community yesterday to allow weapons into the border town of Kobane, saying the town is still in danger from Islamic State militants.
Idriss Nassan, deputy head of Kobane’s foreign relations committee, said the group formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Levante, can bring in reinforcements and weapons at any time, endangering the town near the Turkish border.
He said airstrikes by the US-led coalition are “effective,” but not enough to defeat the militants.
Photo: AFP
Nassan’s comments came a day after a Pentagon spokesman said Kobane remains under threat of falling to the Islamic State fighters. US Rear Admiral John Kirby said two weeks of airstrikes have killed hundreds of Islamic State fighters and have stiffened Kobane’s defenders.
Islamic State launched its offensive on Kobane in the middle of last month, capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages and a third of the town in lightning advances that sent massive waves of civilians fleeing across the border into Turkey.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll since the offensive began has reached more than 660. It said the dead0 include 20 civilians, 258 Kurdish fighters, 374 militants and nine Syrian rebels who are fighting on the Kurds’ side.
The observatory and Nassan reported sporadic clashes in Kobane yesterday, as well as sniper fire on the eastern and southeastern edge of the town.
“From the start we said the coalition’s airstrikes will not be able to save Kobane or to defeat DAESH in the area,” Nassan said by telephone, using an Arabic acronym to refer to Islamic State. “We call upon the international community to open a humanitarian safe passage to allow in food, medicine and weapons supplies.”
“Kobane is not fighting for itself alone. Kobane is fighting for the world community. This is a battle against terrorism and therefore all world countries are asked to participate in this resistance,” he said.
Bolstered by intensified US-led coalition airstrikes targeting Islamic State, Kurdish militiamen have been able to regain some of the positions they lost over the past few days.
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