Syria Kurds Defeat ’ISIL’: Kobane Liberated
Local Editor
Kurdish fighters have expelled terrorist "ISIL" group militants from inside the Syrian border town of Kobane, a monitor said Monday, dealing a key symbolic blow to the groups' ambitions.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor close to the opposition, said fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units [YPG] had pushed "ISIL" militants out of the town after four months of fighting.
In Iraq meanwhile, a senior army officer announced that Iraqi forces had also "liberated" Diyala province from the "ISIL" group.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman stated that YPG forces had "expelled all Daesh fighters from Kobane and have full control of the town.
"The Kurds are pursuing some "jihadists" on the eastern outskirts of Kobane, but there is no more fighting inside now."
The monitor said Kurdish forces were carrying out "mopping-up operations" against remaining "ISIL" forces in the Maqtala district, on the eastern outskirts of the town.
There was no immediate official announcement from the YPG, but Mustafa Ebdi, an activist from the town, announced that "fighting has stopped" in Kobane.
YPG forces were "advancing carefully in Maqtala because of the threat of mines and car bombs," he added.
In a statement, the US Pentagon said the anti-"ISIL" coalition had carried out 17 air strikes against "ISIL" positions in Kobane in the 24 hours from January 25 alone.
The targets included "tactical units" and "fighting positions" as well as an "ISIL" vehicle and staging areas, the statement said.
The loss of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, would be a key symbolic blow against "ISIL", which has lost more than 1,000 fighters since it began its advance on the town on September 16.
At one time it looked set to overrun Kobane, which lies on the Syrian-Turkish border.
The group vastly outgunned the YPG thanks to weapons captured from military bases in Syria and Iraq, and sent hundreds of fighters to the battle.
Analysts say the loss of Kobane is both a symbolic and strategic blow for "ISIL", which set its sights on the small town in a bid to cement its control over a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.
"Kobane has become a huge symbol. Everyone knows Kobane, it's where the Kurds stopped "ISIL"," Kurdish affairs analyst Mutlu Civiroglu said earlier in January.
"They [ISIL] lost hundreds of fighters, millions of dollars of weapons, and the image that wherever IS goes no one can stop them," he declared.
"Instead of being a great prize for them, it's turned around on them like a boomerang."
The fighting in Kobane has killed at least 1,600 people, according to the Observatory.
Over the border in Iraq, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir al-Zaidi announced they had "liberated" Diyala province from Daesh militants.
"We announce the liberation of Diyala from the "ISIL" organization," he said.
"Iraqi forces are in complete control of all the cities and districts and sub-districts of Diyala province."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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