After arms drop, U.S. coalition strikes IS

By

Staff

TOPSHOTS Kurdish people watch the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, at sunset from the southeastern village of Mursitpinar, Sanliurfa province, on October 19, 2014. Turkey is turning a deaf ear to insistent pressure to take a more pro-active stance in the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists, adding to existing strains with the West under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Western diplomats have repeatedly made clear they want to see the key NATO member play a key role in the coalition against the militants, who are battling for the Syrian town Kobane just a few kilometers from Turkey. AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILICBULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

Syrian activists say the U.S.-led coalition has launched new airstrikes on Islamic State positions in Kobani, following overnight airdrops of weapons to Kurdish fighters in the Syrian border town.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says a “large amount of weapons and ammunition” have reached the main Kurdish militia in the town, near the Syrian-Turkish border.

The activists say there were five airstrikes in Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab. The Observatory and Kobani-based activist Farhad Shami say the airstrikes began Sunday night and continued until early Monday.

The Observatory, which has activists on the ground in Syria, says the latest round of fighting between Kurdish militiamen and extremists in Kobani killed at least eight members of the Islamic State group.