Coalition intensifies airstrikes on ISIL targets in Kobani

AP via The National ^ | October 9, 2014 | AP

[GonzoII]

MURSITPINAR, Turkey // The US-led coalition ramped up its aerial bombardment of ISIL positions in the Syrian border town of Kobani on Thursday as the extremist group battled street by street with Kurdish forces and reportedly rushed in reinforcements from surrounding areas.

The battle for the town near the Turkish border has emerged as a major test for the US-led air campaign aimed at rolling back and eventually destroying the extremist group, and has strained ties with Nato ally Turkey, which is at odds with Washington over its long-term strategy in Syria.

The US Central Command said five airstrikes south of Kobani since Wednesday had destroyed an ISIL support building and two vehicles, and damaged a training camp. The strikes also struck two groups of ISIL fighters, it said in a statement.

“Indications are that Kurdish militia there continue to control most of the city and are holding out against ISIL,” it said.

But despite the airstrikes overnight and into the morning, the ISIL fighters managed to capture a police station in the east of the town, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The station was later struck by coalition jets.

[GonzoII]

"I can confirm that they don’t control a third of the city. There
is only a small part of Kobani under the control of Daesh,"
said local Kurdish official Idriss Nassan, using an Arabic
acronym to refer to ISIL.

[Genoa]

Nice map. Strange that the Turks aren’t more concerned.

[Sasparilla]

Why weren’t B52s used as the savages approached while still at a distance?

[xone]

Why weren’t B52s used as the savages approached while still at a distance?

Because loaded B-52s can't appear like magic whenever you need them. Takes planning, takes the identification of a target far enough in advance to account for the time it takes to prep the aircraft, plan the mission (which can happen concurrently) and fly to the target while the target is available.

[blam]

"Because loaded B-52s can't appear like magic whenever you need them."

They're at Diego Garcia aren't they?

[xone]

Haven't seen a story saying they were deployed there for the strikes against ISIS. Direct flight would be about 3700 miles, about 6 hours of flight time. So to make the mission happen, and get the results you want you'd need about 12 hours lead time via intel or be prepped and have a target dwell of 6-7 hours.

Haven't seen if JSTARS has been deployed either. I'd imagine our sources of intel for targeting are thin in that neck of the woods. Which is probably part of the real plan anyway.

[diogenes ghost]

Horse

Barn

Door

[diogenes ghost]

"They're at Diego Garcia aren't they?"

Not normally. My son has been there several times over the last ten years and has never seen one there.

[LeoWindhorse]

we definitely need to hit them with B-52’s . Smart bombs are not needed in the open desert approaches , carpet bombing would devastate IS forces . We have a number of B-52’s forward deployed in the UK right now . Easily within operational range . They should also be able to stage at Incilrik AFB

[LeoWindhorse]

they are at RAF Fairford or Brize Norton

[karnage]

It is only strange to those who do not know where Turkey’s true interests lie - the New Caliphate. They will be happy to let ISIS do the work. Then, when they feel the time is right, they will dump the current caliph, replace him with Erdogan and presto! The Ottoman Empire reborn!