WORLD_ US: Kurdish Forces Still Control Most of Kobani

VOA

US: Kurdish Forces Still Control Most of Kobani

Thick smoke and flames from an airstrike by the US-led coalition rise in Kobani, Syria, as seen from a hilltop on the outskirts of Suruc, at the Turkey-Syria border, Monday, Oct. 20, 2014. [Pin It]

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Victor Beattie
October 22, 2014 4:23 AM

WASHINGTON— The U.S. Defense Department said that while the situation in the Syrian border town of Kobani remains tenuous, Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants remain in control of most of the city. Coalition airstrikes are also supporting Kurdish forces defending the Mosul Dam complex in Iraq, as well as Iraqi security forces trying to push back IS fighters in Anbar province.

U.S. Central Command said seven airstrikes were carried out Monday and Tuesday, with four targeting IS fighting positions, a building and an IS unit near Kobani in northern Syria. Three in Iraq destroyed an IS fighting position south of the Baiji oil refinery, an IS fighting position south of the Mosul Dam and suppressed an IS attack north of Fallujah.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby acknowledged the situation in Kobani remains fragile as Kurdish defenders continue to battle IS fighters:

"Kurdish forces in the city are in control of the majority of the city. I would hesitate to put a number figure on that, but we do believe that they are in possession of a majority of it. That said, ISIL forces continue to threaten it. As you may have seen, overnight we took more airstrikes. We’re continuing to hit targets in and around there to help Kurdish forces as they continue to fight against ISIL. So, it’s still a very mixed, contested environment," said Kirby.

Kirby repeated the view that Kobani could still fall to the IS group. He said IS remains inside the city in some strength, but adds they have not made progress in days. He said Kurdish fighters backed by coalition airstrikes have slowed the IS advance, and that success in Kobani matters because it is important to IS militants.

"They are flowing resources [in] and, therefore, presenting targets that it would be foolish for us not, given the capabilities we have, to hit, because the overarching goal here, it’s about degrading and destroying their capability. So, every time we hit them and we kill some of their fighters, or we knock out some of their firing positions, or we hit a vehicle, we’re helping to degrade their capabilities. It’s not like these guys have a whole troop of auto mechanics that they’ve trained to keep this stuff going. So, their ability to sustain themselves is limited," said Kirby.

The Pentagon spokesman said analysts are examining a video posted on the Internet to determine whether one of 28 bundles of arms, ammunition and medical aid airdropped by U.S. cargo planes early Monday and meant to resupply Kurdish fighters ended up in the hands of IS militants.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, which is considered the main theater of operations for the coalition air campaign called Inherent Resolve, coalition airstrikes seek to support Iraqi Kurds, who control the vital Mosul Dam complex north of Baghdad, and Iraqi security forces trying to hold off IS advances in western Anbar province. Kirby insists the United States and its allies have not “turned their backs on Anbar.”

"There have been real challenges in terms of what we can do there largely because of the weather, but also because of some of the defensive mechanisms that ISIL has thrown up in the way. So, things are starting to move and I think you're going to continue to see that momentum there inside Iraq," said Kirby.

He said Iraqi security forces present a mixed picture in terms of competence and capabilities, calling it an army that was not properly resourced, trained or maintained for three years.

The Pentagon spokesman said 12 U.S. teams are now advising security forces: seven in and around Baghdad and five in Erbil in northern Iraq, and that more are on the way.

Kirby said fully one-third of Iraqi forces are now operating in Anbar and are on the move to relieve forces defending Baiji, north of Baghdad.

The Reuters news agency quotes U.S. officials Tuesday as saying any Iraqi request for more U.S. military advisers would be considered. It said the issue was discussed in meetings in Baghdad last week between Iraqi officials and White House deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken and other U.S. officials.

There are currently about 1400 U.S. military and diplomatic security personnel in Iraq, but no specific requests for more advisers have been made.

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Kirby says Operation Inherent Resolve, begun August 8, has cost the United States about $424 million.

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