World

Street battles as IS enters key town

October 6, 2014 6:32 pm

Islamic State (IS) militants have entered the key Syria-Turkey border town of Kobane and are engaged in street-to-street fighting with Syrian Kurd defenders.

IS fighters entered eastern districts, raising their black flag on buildings and high ground.

Hundreds of civilians are reported to be fleeing to the Turkish border.

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Taking Kobane, besieged for three weeks, would give IS control of a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.

More than 160,000 Syrians, mainly Kurds, have fled the town.

Earlier a local official in Kobane, Idriss Nassan, told the BBC that the town would “certainly fall soon”.

He confirmed IS was now in control of Mistenur, the strategic hill above the town and that there was heavy shelling. Kobane is now besieged on three sides.