US-led strikes hit jihadists attacking Syria Kurd town [Kabone] on Turkish border

AFP via Hurriyet Daily News ^ | Saturday,September 27 2014

[GonzoII]

The U.S.-led coalition hit Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets around a Syrian town on the Turkish border Sept. 27 where tens of thousands have fled a jihadist assault, a monitoring group said.

The reported strikes around the mainly Kurdish town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobane in Kurdish, came as the U.S.-led coalition widened its air war against ISIL targets in Syria as part of "near continuous" raids against the jihadists.

It was the second time that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported U.S.-led air strikes around the town since the launch of the ISIL advance which has sent 160,000 streaming over the border into Turkey.

Both the Observatory and Syrian state media had also reported coalition air strikes around the town on Sept. 25 night.

Senior Syrian Kurdish official Newaf Khalil confirmed the latest strikes, and told AFP they destroyed several ISIL tanks.

"We definitely welcome... the international coalition in the fight against (ISIL)," Khalil told AFP via the Internet, adding that the latest strike hit the ISIL-held town of Ali Shar, east of Ain al-Arab.

The strikes came a day after hundreds of Kurds crossed from Turkey to reinforce Ain al-Arab's Kurdish militia defenders, breaking through the border fence.

[GonzoII]

Maybe they watched CNN last night.

[House Atreides]

Well it’s ABOUT TIME.

[flaglady47]

“Maybe they watched CNN last night.”

I’ll bet someone in the Obama Admin was watching or got the heads up. CNN was giving the border battle extensive live coverage.

[Pearls Before Swine]

It’s on the Turkish border, but we can’t use Turkish bases, and Turkey isn’t doing this. What am I missing here?

[allendale]

Finally. ISIS attacking a big city was a very open target for US pilots who are very skilled at close ground support. The lack of attacks led rational people to question if there was any real intent to prosecute this “war” successfully.

[GonzoII]

First Airstrikes Hit Kobane

First airstrikes hit beleaguered Kurdish town.

KOBANE, Syria--The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition launched airstrikes targeting militant strongholds on the outskirts of the beleaguered Kurdish city of Kobane for the first time early Saturday, according to local officials.

The strike follows a weeklong Islamic State (IS or ISIS) offensive that has driven over 140,000 Syrian Kurds across the Turkish border.

The mission targeted ISIS militants based in Jim-Hiran, Ali-Shar, Mirde Smill, and southern sections of Sheran, all villages east of Kobane, the unofficial capital of the autonomous Kurdish vilayets in Northern Syria.    

According to information obtained by Rudaw, ISIS has faced major losses in the outskirts of Kobane.

This is the first time that coalition airstrikes targeted the embattled Kurdish city, arriving after a week of desperate pleas from local residents and opposition militias for the coalition to intervene.

Salih Muslim, the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD)--the ruling party in the Kurdish controlled areas in Northern Syria--had complained that the coalition had ignored ISIS targets in Kobane even as the Islamic militants targeted civilians.

“We see all the fighter jets flying around, but they never target IS near Kobane. Airstrikes will be very helpful to repel IS attacks on Kobane,” said Muslim.

The coalition also expanded the air offensive into the central province of Homs Saturday, although strikes were at considerable distance from Homs city, controlled by Syrian president Bashar al Assad.  These strikes were carried out in the desert area of al-Hammad.
 
Meanwhile other targets included Minbej, east of Aleppo, and multiple targets in Raqqa province, the center of ISIS activity and support. Raqqa city endured heavy bombardment, according to local witnesses.

The western coalition has been reluctant to provide military support for the PYD and their military wing in the past because of their links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which many coalition partners-- including the US and Turkey--classify as a terrorist organization.

Source: RUDAW