WORLD_ US military airdrops weapons, ammunition to Syrian Kurds in Kobane, adding to tensions with Turkey

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US military airdrops weapons, ammunition to Syrian Kurds in Kobane, adding to tensions with Turkey

Updated 20 October 2014, 20:24 AEST

The American military for the first time have airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Syrian Kurds in the battleground city of Kobane.



C-130 cargo aircraft conducted "multiple" airdrops of supplies to Kurds in Kobane. (Credit: ABC)

The American military has for the first time airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Syrian Kurds in the battleground city of Kobane.

United State central command (CENTCOM) confirmed the airdrop, which is likely to anger key ally Turkey.

C-130 cargo aircraft conducted "multiple" airdrops of the supplies provided by Kurdish authorities in Iraq.

The supplies were "intended to enable continued resistance against ISIL's attempts to overtake Kobane," CENTCOM said in a statement, referring to Islamic State (IS) fighters.

Redur Xelil, a spokesman for the People's Protection Units (YPG), confirmed the weapons delivery and said Kurdish fighters hoped to receive additional assistance.

"The military assistance dropped by American planes at dawn on Kobane was good and we thank America for this support," he said.

"It will have a positive impact on military operations against Daish and we hope for more," he added, using the Arabic acronym for the IS group.

He declined to detail the weapons included in the delivery but said they would "help greatly" as Kurdish forces battle to keep IS jihadists from overrunning Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab.

The US and its Western allies have been pressing Turkey to take a more direct role in taking on IS fighters in Kobane, but Ankara is reluctant to arm Kurds and intervene militarily against the militants, fearing an effective fighting force from its historic foes on its border.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier rejected calls for his country to arm the main Kurdish party in Syria, describing the group as a terrorist organisation linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a 30-year insurgency for self-rule in south-eastern Turkey.

But in a call, Mr Erdogan and US president Barack Obama pledged to "strengthen cooperation" against IS in Syria.

American-led warplanes launched 11 air strikes near Kobane on Saturday and Sunday, CENTCOM said, helping Kurdish fighters repulse a new IS attempt to cut their supply lines from Turkey.

So far, US forces have conducted more than 135 airstrikes against IS in Kobane alone.

"Combined with continued resistance to ISIL on the ground, indications are that these strikes have slowed ISIL advances into the city, killed hundreds of their fighters and destroyed or damaged scores of pieces of ISIL combat equipment and fighting positions," CENTCOM said.

"However, the security situation in Kobane remains fragile as ISIL continues to threaten the city and Kurdish forces continue to resist."

CENTCOM Commander General Lloyd Austin has warned that the city could fall.

Kobane's Kurdish defenders have been under IS assault for more than a month.

From Saturday into Sunday morning, 31 IS militants died in the battle, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Coalition air strikes near Kobane hit 20 IS fighting positions, five IS vehicles and two IS-held buildings, CENTCOM said.

SOHR, which has a network of sources inside Syria, said 15 fighters were killed in the air strikes, while 16 others died in ground clashes along with seven Kurdish fighters.

More on this story:

* Deal agreed for Australian forces to deploy in Iraq: Julie Bishop
* Battle for Kobane intensifies as Islamic State uses car bombs, Syrian fighters execute captives
* US-led air strikes pound Islamic State militants in Kobane
* Former Iraqi pilots training Islamic State militants to fly captured warplanes
* Kurdish fighters claim recapture of hill near Kobane
* Turkish warplanes strike outlawed Kurdish separatist targets

AFP

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