Frontline Video of Kurdish Fighting against ISIS Terrorists

Mon Oct 20, 2014 14:56:39

The Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units, or YPG, have been retaking ground from IS near Sari Kani, located around 160 kilometres east of Syrian town of Kobani.

British broadcaster Sky News has travelled with a Kurdish armed militia group to the front-line in Syria where Kurdish fighters have been leading the ground offensive against ISIS group.

The Kurdish fighters are members of the People's Protection Units, or YPG, an armed militia based in northwestern Syria that has been fighting to protect areas inhabited by Kurds.

Although many of the fighters are armed only with homemade weapons, the Kurdish militia has been retaking ground from IS near Sari Kani, located around 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of Syrian town of Kobani, which borders Turkey.

In recent days, much of the US-led coalition's strikes have focused around Kobani, which IS militants have been trying to seize since mid-September.Bolstered by the intensified air campaign targeting IS, Kurdish fighters were able to regain some of the positions they lost in recent days.But the Kurds fear their luck will run out without heavier weapons and more fighters to back their cause.

"They are outgunned," said Brian Wilson from Ohio in the United States, who joined YPG fighters to help in their fight against Islamic State militants.

“They are outgunned. They are brave fighters. They just need more help. If they had better technology, better weapons they could finish DAESH (Arabic acronym for IS) on their own. I mean, more airstrikes would be very helpful to help clear out some areas.” said Wilson, a veteran of the first Persian Gulf War.

About 3,000 to 4,000 Kurds are fighting to block the Sunni militant group from seizing Kobani, according to recent estimates from different Kurdish fighters.They have urged Turkey to open the border to allow members of the YPG to travel through Turkish territory to reinforce Kobani.

On Monday, Turkey's foreign minister said Turkey will support Kurdish Peshmerga fighters by allowing them to enter Kobani to fight IS militants.Mevlut Cavusoglu said the talks on the subject were continuing, but he did not give any further details.

Until now Turkey has refused to allow Kurdish fighters to cross into Syria.The US military said on Sunday it had airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Kurdish forces defending the Syrian city of Kobani.

The airdrops on Sunday were the first of their kind and followed weeks of US and coalition airstrikes in and near Kobani, near the Turkish border.

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