U.S. resupplies Kurdish forces fighting ISIL near Kobani

  • Published
U.S. military forces conducted multiple airdrops near Kobani, Syria, Oct. 20, to resupply Kurdish forces on the ground defending the city against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists, U.S. Central Command officials reported.

Air Force C-130 Hercules deployed to the CENTCOM area of responsibility delivered weapons, ammunition and medical supplies that were provided by Kurdish authorities in Iraq and intended to enable continued resistance against ISIL's attempts to overtake Kobani, officials said, adding that all aircraft left the airdrop zone safely.

The airdrops were conducted in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, which aims to degrade and defeat ISIL and the threat it poses to the region and the wider international community.

To date, Centcom officials said, U.S. forces have conducted more than 135 airstrikes against ISIL in Kobani. Combined with continued resistance to ISIL on the ground, they added, indications are that these strikes have slowed ISIL advances into the city, killed hundreds of the terrorist group's fighters, and destroyed or damaged scores of pieces of combat equipment and fighting positions.

However, officials noted, the security situation in Kobani remains fragile, and the city could still fall.

(Information courtesy of U.S. Central Command)