Iraqi peshmerga fighters prepare for Syria battle

An Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighter rides on an artillery weapon as he leaves the outskirts of Suruc, Turkey, towards the Turkey-Syria border, on the way to the Syrian city of Kobani, Friday, Oct. 31, 2014. The 10 peshmerga fighters from Iraq who entered the embattled northern Syrian town of Kobani one day earlier returned to Turkey Friday to prepare for their forces' full deployment, and a senior Kurdish official blamed Ankara for the delay. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) An Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighter rides on an artillery weapon as he leaves the outskirts of Suruc, Turkey, towards the Turkey-Syria border, on the way to the Syrian city of Kobani, Friday, Oct. 31, 2014. The 10 peshmerga fighters from Iraq who entered the embattled northern Syrian town of Kobani one day earlier returned to Turkey Friday to prepare for their forces' full deployment, and a senior Kurdish official blamed Ankara for the delay. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

By Associated Press November 1, 2014 1 min read

MURSITPINAR, Turkey (AP) – An official for the main Syrian Kurdish force says Iraqi peshmerga fighters are getting ready for the battle against Islamic State group extremists in the border town of Kobani.

Shorsh Hassan, a spokesman for the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, says the peshmerga and the YPG are preparing a plan for the role that Iraqi Kurdish troops will play.

Hassan’s comments Saturday came after some 150 peshmerga fighters entered Kobani on Friday night to fight the extremist group that controls parts of the town.

The force brought in badly needed heavy weapons including artillery, heavy machine guns and anti-tank missiles, material that could tip the balance of power in favor of the Kurds.

Islamic State group positions in Kobani also have been targeted U.S.-led airstrikes.