Syria Kurdish official appeals for arms for Kobani

MURSITPINAR, Turkey - A Syrian Kurdish official called on the international community on Thursday to allow weapons into the border town of Kobani, saying the town was still in danger from Islamic State militants, despite small advances by Kurdish fighters.

Idriss Nassan, deputy head of Kobani's foreign relations committee said airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition were "effective" but not enough to defeat the jihadis. The Islamic State group fighters can bring in reinforcements and weapons from a matrix of other villages and towns in the area that they control, something that has so far confounded the Kurdish fighters.

The Islamic State group launched its offensive on Kobani in mid-September, capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages and a third of the town in lightning advances that sent tens of thousands of civilians fleeing across the nearby border into Turkey in one of the worst refugee crises since the Syrian conflict erupted over three years ago.

But it is unclear what the international community can do, even if leading global powers had the will to arm the Kurdish fighters there. The neighboring Turkish government views the Kurdish fighters with deep suspicion, has prevented young men from crossing into Syria to fight alongside gunmen there, and has even shelled Kurdish positions.

Nassan's comments came a day after the Pentagon spokesman said Kobani remains under threat of falling to the Islamic State fighters. Rear Adm. John Kirby said two weeks of airstrikes have killed hundreds of Islamic State fighters, and have stiffened Kobani's defenders.

On Thursday, the U.S. conducted 14 airstrikes - hitting buildings controlled by the group, sniping positions and a heavy machine gun, according to a statement issued by the U.S. military's central command. The CENTCOM statement said that the airstrikes were slowing down Islamic State fighters, "but that the security situation on the ground in Kobani remains tenuous."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll since the Islamic State offensive began has reached more than 660. It said the dead include 20 civilians, 258 Kurdish fighters, 374 jihadi fighters and nine Syrian rebels who are fighting on the Kurds' side.

The Observatory and Nassan reported sporadic clashes in Kobani Thursday as well as sniper fire on the eastern and southeastern edge of the town.

"From the start we said the coalition's airstrikes will not be able to save Kobani or to defeat the (Islamic State group) in the area," Nassan said by telephone. "We call upon the international community to open a humanitarian safe passage to allow in food, medicine, and weapons supplies."

"Kobani is not fighting for itself alone. Kobani is fighting for the world community. This is a battle against terrorism," he said.

Bolstered by intensified U.S.-led coalition airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group, Kurdish militiamen were able to regain some of the positions they lost over the past few days.

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Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut.