Skip to main content
Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Kurdish fighters battle IS militants in northern Syrian town

Turkish soldiers stand as smoke billows from the Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab or Kobani following the attacks by IS militants as seen from the Turkish side of the border in Suruc, Turkey, Thursday, June 25, 2015. Islamic State militants launched two major attacks in northern Syria on Thursday, storming government-held areas in the mostly Kurdish city of Hassakeh and pushing into Kobani — the Syrian Kurdish border town they were expelled from early this year — where they set off three cars bombs, killing and wounding dozens, activists and officials said.(AP Photo)
Turkish soldiers stand as smoke billows from the Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab or Kobani following the attacks by IS militants as seen from the Turkish side of the border in Suruc, Turkey, Thursday, June 25, 2015. Islamic State militants launched two major attacks in northern Syria on Thursday, storming government-held areas in the mostly Kurdish city of Hassakeh and pushing into Kobani — the Syrian Kurdish border town they were expelled from early this year — where they set off three cars bombs, killing and wounding dozens, activists and officials said.(AP Photo)

By Associated Press 3 min read

BEIRUT (AP) – Kurdish fighters have besieged Islamic State members who entered the northern Syrian town of Kobani, activists said Friday adding that two days of fighting have left more than 100 civilians dead.

Kobani-based Kurdish activist Mustafa Bali said small groups of jihadis are still in the town and have taken civilians hostage in at least three locations. He added that a fourth location, a restaurant, was stormed by Kurdish fighters who freed the hostages and killed several IS fighters.

The attack on Kobani came after the Islamic State group 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 jihadis to bring in foreign fighters.

Kobani on Syria’s border with Turkey had become a proud symbol of Kurdish resistance after the town and its defenders, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes repelled an extended IS assault.

The town was besieged by the Islamic State group for months earlier this year, but the IS forces were driven out by Kurdish militiamen six months ago. According to Kurdish officials, the IS militants infiltrated the town on Thursday by wearing Syrian rebel uniforms and carrying flags of the mainstream Free Syrian Army to deceive Kobani’s Kurdish defenders. They then launched their attack by setting off three car bombs and taking up positions inside Kobani, the officials said.