Call to allow arms to be taken into Kobani

Idriss Nassan, the deputy head of Kobani’s foreign relations committee, said IS can bring in reinforcements and weapons at any time and endanger the town, situated on the border near Turkey.

He said air strikes by the US-led coalition are not enough.

Mr Nassan’s comments came a day after a Pentagon spokesman said Kobani remains in danger of falling to IS fighters.

He said two weeks of air strikes have killed hundreds of Islamic State fighters, and have bolstered Kobani’s defenders.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll since the Islamic State offensive began in mid-September has reached more than 660.

The Observatory said the dead include 20 civilians, 258 Kurdish fighters, 374 jihadi fighters and nine Syrian rebels who are fighting on the Kurds’ side.

The Observatory and Mr Nassan reported sporadic clashes in Kobani as well as sniper fire on the eastern and south-eastern edge of the town.

“From the start we said the coalition’s air strikes will not be able to save Kobani or to defeat Daesh (Arabic name for IS) in the area,” Mr Nassan said.

“We call upon the international community to open a humanitarian safe passage to allow in 
food, medicine, and weapons supplies.

“Kobani is not fighting for itself alone. Kobani is fighting for the world community.

“This is a battle against terrorism and therefore all world countries are asked to participate in this resistance.”

Bolstered by intensified US-led coalition air strikes targeting IS, Kurdish militiamen have been able to regain some of the positions they lost over the past few days.

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