WASHINGTON : Sustained US-led airstrikes along with the Kurdish ground forces have forced the Islamic State out of key Syrian border town Kobani, the Pentagon has said.
“Kurdish ground forces, supported by our air component, were successful in retaking the town of Kobani, which again shows the emptiness of Daesh’s claims of invincibility,” Lt Gen James Terry, Commander Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve said in a statement.
“Kurdish forces on the ground, supported by aviation fires, forced ISIL from their Kobani stronghold on January 27, 2015,” Terry said.
“Kurdish forces continue to expand their positions to surrounding areas outside of Kobani by seizing key terrain and access routes. The Coalition will continue to attack Daesh anywhere they present themselves,” he added.
“Following the defeat of ISIL within the town of Kobani, military airstrikes in the vicinity of the Syrian town of Kobani continue to support the efforts of Kurdish forces to push ISIL from the surrounding areas”, Terry said.
“The airstrikes targeted ISIL positions and equipment, enabling the Kurdish ground forces to enhance the town’s defenses, prevents ISIL from attacking, and to extend security in the areas around Kobani,” he added.
Since airstrikes started on August 8 last year there have been over 700 strikes in and around the Kobani area.
“Airstrikes in support of Kurdish ground forces have destroyed over 280 ISIL fighting positions, nearly 100 ISIL buildings, more than 60 technical vehicles almost a dozen tanks, multiple weapon systems and other military equipment, Terry said in the statement.
Meanwhile in Boston, the US Secretary of State John Kerry held discussion about ISIL and military operations against it with his Canadian counterpart John Baird.
“We took note of the important success of our anti-ISIL coalition that we had in Kobani where today Daesh was forced to acknowledge its own defeat”, Baird said.
“We have a long way to go in the overall campaign, but Daesh – ISIL, as some know it – has said all along that Kobani was a real symbolic and strategic objective,” he added.
“They said so themselves; they defined it as such. So pushing them out of there is a big deal. And make no mistake,” Kerry said.
“We will also use the same tools that we used to get there – the tools of cooperation and support – to defeat violent transnational criminal organizations and ensure that the rule of law thrives for all of our people,” he added. (AGENCIES)
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