3rd lead
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Coalition airstrike over Kobane city centre on Wednesday afternoon. Photograph Nizar Mistefa
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Airstrikes by the US led coalition against Islamic State militants continued on Wednesday, as fighting continued inside Kobane and Kurdish officials warned that the city was on the brink of falling to Islamic State militants.
Air strikes were seen targeting the south-east and central part of Kobane, Nizar Mistefa, a Kurdish photographer situated inside Turkey by the Kobane border told Tamil Guardian on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the US-led coalition carried out its most extensive set of airstrikes against the Islamic State targets, who entered the eastern side of the city, raising their black flag.
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Coalition airstrike Wednesday afternoon over Mishtar Noor Hill in the south-east part of Kobane. Photograph Nizar Mistefa
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A Kurdish commander Meysa Abdo, in Kobane, told the BBC that the air strikes “were the most effective” so far.
“If the coalition had attacked with such strength and effectiveness beforehand, we wouldn’t have seen IS reach the city and destroy so many lives,” she added.
Twenty-one Kurds have died over the past 2 days, in protests in Turkey, reports The Times. Kurds have criticised the Turkish government’s lack of support to Kurdish forces fighting against Islamic State militants in the Syrian border town of Kobane. Police used tear gas and water cannons against Kurdish protesters in at least 6 Turkish cities.
Kurds demonstrate calling for assistance as Islamic State advances into Kobane (07 October 2014)