BEIRUT, October 27 (RIA Novosti) – Kurdish forces have liberated the Syrian city of Kobani bordering Turkey from Islamic State (IS) fighters, Lebanese television channel Al Mayadeen reported Monday.
According to the channel, over the weekend Kurdish fighters switched to an offensive on the extremists, forcing them three miles from the city limits after capturing several key locations.
According to Al Mayadeen, as many as 50 IS fighters were killed Sunday.
Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab, one of the largest towns in the Kurdish region of Syria bordering Turkey, has been under attack by IS militants for over a month. The siege has caused thousands of Kurds to flee for Turkey. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighting has claimed more than 800 victims, over half of them IS militants.
The IS terrorist group has taken over swaths of Iraq and Syria, proclaiming a caliphate on the controlled areas in June. In August, the United States launched air strikes against the insurgents in Iraq, extending military action to neighboring Syria the following month. Washington and its allies are also backing Kurdish forces, who play a crucial role in countering the IS in northern Iraq and Syria.
