U.S. bombers carried out nine more airstrikes against ISIS fighters in Syria Wednesday, as part of an air campaign designed to thwart the Islamist terror group that is threatening to overrun a besieged city near the Turkish border, the military said.
The new airstrikes destroyed buildings used by the fighters, a tank, a heavy machine gun and four groups of fighters in the south and north of Kobani. American attack aircraft have launched 14 airstrikes in the last 24 hours against ISIS fighters outside Kobani as it tries to support Kurdish fighters trying to beat back Islamist fighters attacking the town.
The ISIS assault on Kobani has left at least 400 people dead and sent thousands of refugees fleeing across the Turkish border, increasing pressure on that country to join in a military campaign against the group. On Wednesday, a human rights group claimed ISIS controls one-third of the city.
Also Thursday, the military launched two other airstrikes against ISIS fighters in Iraq, destroying a bunker and ammunition cache and a group of fighters, U.S. Central Command said.
IN-DEPTH
- U.S. Pounds Targets Outside Besieged Syrian City of Kobani
- ISIS Controls On-Third of Kobani: Group
More%20U.S.%20airstrikes%20against%20#ISIL%20near%20Kobani%20in%20#Syria,%20Sinjar%20in%20#Iraq:%20http://t.co/QlGq033AzW
—%20U.S.%20Central%20Command%20(@CENTCOM)%20October%209,%202014%20