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| Kurds say Kobani is secure after Islamic State siege | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Kurdish fighters say they have fully secured the Syrian border town of Kobani and killed more than 60 Islamic State (Isis) militants, two days after the militant group attacked it with suicide bombers. | Kurdish fighters say they have fully secured the Syrian border town of Kobani and killed more than 60 Islamic State (Isis) militants, two days after the militant group attacked it with suicide bombers. |
| Redur Xelil, spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, said about eight members of Isis had also escaped north towards the Turkish border after the Kurds pushed back. | Redur Xelil, spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, said about eight members of Isis had also escaped north towards the Turkish border after the Kurds pushed back. |
| “There are still search operations in neighbourhoods where they might be hiding. The town is quiet now,” he said in an online message. | “There are still search operations in neighbourhoods where they might be hiding. The town is quiet now,” he said in an online message. |
| In Syria’s northeast, Kurdish forces and the army fought separate battles with Isis around Hasaka city overnight asit tried to capture more areas of the major urban centre near the Iraqi border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Saturday. | In Syria’s northeast, Kurdish forces and the army fought separate battles with Isis around Hasaka city overnight asit tried to capture more areas of the major urban centre near the Iraqi border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Saturday. |
| In Kobani, the YPG blew up a school building used by Isis earlier on Saturday, the Observatory said, and plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the air from the Turkish side of the border. | In Kobani, the YPG blew up a school building used by Isis earlier on Saturday, the Observatory said, and plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the air from the Turkish side of the border. |
| Isis killed about 200 civilians in the town and surrounding areas during the attack, which started on Thursday, the Observatory said, describing it as one of the worst massacres committed by the group in Syria. | Isis killed about 200 civilians in the town and surrounding areas during the attack, which started on Thursday, the Observatory said, describing it as one of the worst massacres committed by the group in Syria. |
| Kobani was the site of one of the biggest battles against Isis last year. The Kurdish YPG force drove the militants back from the town with the help of US air strikes after four months of fighting and siege. | Kobani was the site of one of the biggest battles against Isis last year. The Kurdish YPG force drove the militants back from the town with the help of US air strikes after four months of fighting and siege. |
| The YPG previously described the latest attack on Kobani as “a suicide mission” rather than an attempt to capture the town. | The YPG previously described the latest attack on Kobani as “a suicide mission” rather than an attempt to capture the town. |
| In the northeast, Isis appeared to be attempting to wrest Hasaka city from government control. Syrian state television said on Saturday the city was safe and under control, but the Observatory said fierce clashes continued in the southwest, south and southeast. | In the northeast, Isis appeared to be attempting to wrest Hasaka city from government control. Syrian state television said on Saturday the city was safe and under control, but the Observatory said fierce clashes continued in the southwest, south and southeast. |
| Hasaka is important to all sides fighting as it is positioned in an area that sits betweenIsis-held territories in Syria and Iraq, and reaches north up to the Turkish border. | Hasaka is important to all sides fighting as it is positioned in an area that sits betweenIsis-held territories in Syria and Iraq, and reaches north up to the Turkish border. |
| The assault there will test the Syrian army’s capacity to hold on to areas far from the major government-held cities in the west. Xelil said the government forces appeared to be holding on to their positions by early on Saturday. | The assault there will test the Syrian army’s capacity to hold on to areas far from the major government-held cities in the west. Xelil said the government forces appeared to be holding on to their positions by early on Saturday. |
| Isis launched an assault on government-held areas of Hasaka on Thursday and the United Nations said the violence was thought to have displaced up to 120,000 people. Isis said on Saturday it attacked areas east of the city and in a video posted online claimed to have entered western areas. | Isis launched an assault on government-held areas of Hasaka on Thursday and the United Nations said the violence was thought to have displaced up to 120,000 people. Isis said on Saturday it attacked areas east of the city and in a video posted online claimed to have entered western areas. |
| Related: Syrians respond to 'summer in Syria' tweet with photographic realities of war | Related: Syrians respond to 'summer in Syria' tweet with photographic realities of war |
| Hasaka is divided into areas run separately by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government and Kurdish authorities and has a mixed population of Arabs, Kurds and Christians. | Hasaka is divided into areas run separately by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government and Kurdish authorities and has a mixed population of Arabs, Kurds and Christians. |
| Isis has been back on the offensive after two weeks of defeats at the hands of Kurdish-led forces supported by US-led air strikes. This week, the Kurds advanced to within 30 miles (50km) of Raqqa city, the group’s de facto capital. | Isis has been back on the offensive after two weeks of defeats at the hands of Kurdish-led forces supported by US-led air strikes. This week, the Kurds advanced to within 30 miles (50km) of Raqqa city, the group’s de facto capital. |
| Late on Friday, Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi appealed to residents to take up arms to defend Hasaka. | Late on Friday, Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi appealed to residents to take up arms to defend Hasaka. |
| While Isis had managed to advance slightly in Hasaka on Friday, seizing one army position, heavy Syrian air force strikes hindered the attack, according to the Observatory. | While Isis had managed to advance slightly in Hasaka on Friday, seizing one army position, heavy Syrian air force strikes hindered the attack, according to the Observatory. |