Islamic State fighters have renewed their advance in the Syrian border town of Kobane, as the US warned that air strikes alone could not save it. A Kurdish leader in Kobane told Reuters news agency IS militants had entered parts of the city amid heavy fighting. The US military said its latest strikes had destroyed IS positions, but that Kobane “could be taken” by the group. Seizing the town would give the IS jihadists full control of a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border. The US also appeared to be at odds with allies over a Turkish idea to create a buffer zone or safe haven along the border. Three weeks of fighting over Kobane has cost the lives of 400 people, and forced more than 160,000 Syrians to flee across the border to Turkey. ‘Steeling ourselves’ Asya Abdullah, a co-leader of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party representing Syrian Kurds in Kobane, said: “Tonight [Islamic State] has entered two districts with heavy weapons, including tanks. Civilians may have died because there are very intense clashes.” At the scene: Paul Adams, BBC world affairs correspondent The images are powerful enough, but the sound is sometimes overwhelming. At times today, it seemed the entire eastern side of Kobane was one vast street battle. It was relentless. Thick clouds of smoke drifted across the town as grenades exploded. And all day, another series of massive air strikes; each towering black cloud greeted with delighted cheering by Turkish Kurds who have come to watch, with mounting dread, the assault on their Syrian cousins across the fence. In groups large and small, they gather as close to the fence as they can get, shouting chants of defiance and solidarity. They are furious with Turkey for what they believe is Ankara’s complicity in the rise of Islamic State. Another official there said IS had seized some buildings in the east and that there was fierce fighting with Kurdish resistance forces. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said IS forces had advanced around 100m (109 yards) towards the town centre on Wednesday evening. It added that IS was bringing in reinforcements from its stronghold in Raqqa province. The US Central Command said in a statement late on Wednesday that eight coalition air strikes had hit targets in Kobane. It said five IS armed vehicles, an IS supply depot and other buildings had been destroyed. The statement added: “Indications are that Kurdish militia there continue to control most of the city and are holding out” against IS. But in a separate news briefing, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm John Kirby said air strikes alone were “not going to save the town of Kobane.” The US is training moderate Syrian rebels in Saudi Arabia to provide a ground force, but this could be months away. When asked if this meant Syrian towns could fall to IS, Mr Kirby said: “We all need to prepare ourselves for the reality that other towns and villages and perhaps Kobane will be taken by IS.” —BBC Online
