Inside Kobani

Inside Kobani

Kobani, Syria
13 images
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A fighter of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) flashes a V-sign as he patrols the streets in the northern Syrian town of Kobani.

Kurdish forces took control of the town on Monday after driving out Islamic State fighters, a monitoring group and Syrian state media said, although the United States said the four-month battle was not yet over.

. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Known as Ayn al-Arab in Arabic, Kobani, the mainly Kurdish town close to the Turkish border, has become a focal point in the international fight against Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot that has spread across Syria and Iraq.

Some Islamic State supporters took to Twitter to say the fight for Kobani was still raging.

. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

The YPG, whose fighters are pictured above, said Kobani had been "completely liberated" from Islamic State, which it referred to using the pejorative Arabic acronym "Daesh".

"The defeat of Daesh in Kobani will be the beginning of the end for the group," a statement on its website said.

. SURUC, Turkey. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Islamist militants launched an assault on the town last year, using heavy weapons seized in Iraq and forcing tens of thousands of locals into exile.

The Islamic State still has fighters in hundreds of nearby villages, and called on supporters on Monday to target people in the West with whatever weapons they could lay their hands on.

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Slideshow

A woman stands on the porch of a house.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

A woman stands on the porch of a house.

A Kurdish woman sits next to fighters of the YPG.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

A Kurdish woman sits next to fighters of the YPG.

A Kurdish boy stands in front of a damaged car.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

A Kurdish boy stands in front of a damaged car.

Kurdish men stand next to a damaged car.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Kurdish men stand next to a damaged car.

A makeshift armoured vehicle of the YPG stands on the road.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

A makeshift armoured vehicle of the YPG stands on the road.

YPG fighters stand on the debris of a damaged building.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

YPG fighters stand on the debris of a damaged building.

YPG fighters walk alongside damaged buildings.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

YPG fighters walk alongside damaged buildings.

YPG fighters patrol the streets.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

YPG fighters patrol the streets.

Destroyed buildings are pictured.
. KOBANI, Syria. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Destroyed buildings are pictured.

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