Syria Kurds seize town from Islamic State near its 'capital'

Reuters ^ | 06/23/2015 | BY TOM PERRY AND LAILA BASSAM

[SeekAndFind]

Kurdish-led forces in Syria seized a town from Islamic State on Tuesday after capturing a military base overnight, aided by U.S.-led air strikes in some of the most dramatic gains yet against the militants.

The Kurdish march deep into the heart of Islamic State territory follows their capture of a town on the Turkish border last week, reversing the momentum of militants who had seized major towns in both Syria and Iraq last month.

The Kurdish YPG-led forces had taken full control of Ain Issa, said YPG spokesman Redur Xelil. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reports on the war, said Islamic State fighters had completely withdrawn from the town.

Overnight, advancing forces including Syrian rebels fighting alongside the YPG took control of the nearby Liwa-93 military base, a strategic objective which Islamic State had captured last year from government forces.

The advance to Ain Issa brings the Kurdish forces and their allies within 50 km (30 miles) of Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital, from which it rules over a "caliphate" across much of Syria and Iraq.

But Xelil said an assault on the city was not currently planned. The Observatory said the aim of the advance was to seize control of an east-west highway running through Ain Issa which links the city of Aleppo with the northeastern province of Hasaka.

The United States and its Arab and Western allies launched an air campaign against Islamic State last year after the fighters, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, proclaimed their "caliphate" to rule over all Muslims.

The YPG fighters have emerged as the most credible ally of the U.S.-led campaign on the ground in Syria, where Washington has fewer friends than in Iraq. Xelil described the U.S.-led air support as "excellent".

[Politicalkiddo]

Good for the Kurds!

[Mollypitcher1]

Love the Kurds.

[boycott]

Maybe the best thing that can happen is Obama keep his sorry self out of it. He is on the wrong side every time.

[DaxtonBrown]

What I’m curious about is: Do the Kurds take prisoners? I’d think they would just kill them all.

[beethovenfan]

We should arm the Kurds NOW! They don’t run away like those Iraqi pussies.

[onedoug]

Why would the Kurds slow themselves down? We know how isis would treat them.

[bray]

Obama is deeply saddened.

Pray America is waking

[House Atreides]

Maybe the best thing that can happen is Obama keep his sorry self out of it. He is on the wrong side every time.
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He should arm the Kurds DIRECTLY, but since he’s not going to do that (it might offend his Muslim Brotherhood compadres & ISIL) he should keep out of it.

But of course he will claim credit for every thing the Kurds accomplish that is perceived as good. Of course, he should get the same degree of credit for the Kurdish accomplishments as he gets for the accomplishments of the American fracking industry. In other words he should get no credit. But that won’t stop him, his regime’s spokespersons and his media supporters from giving him credit.

[spetznaz]

Good for the Kurds.

[Cronos]

while I support arming the Kurds you must remember one thing, that this means eventually arming Iran. Kurds are an Irani people and though they may get their Kurdistan soon, they will always be tied to Iran.

The hopeful sign is that the Iranis are turning away from Islam -- even in Iran