Amid IS offensive, scores die in Syria

Associated Press

BEIRUT

Fighting raged into the night Friday between Kurdish fighters and Islamic State militants in the Syrian border town of Kobani, as reports mounted that at least 120 civilians, including women and children, have been killed by the extremist group since it launched a new offensive on the strategic town the previous day.

The fighting came amid deadly terror attacks across continents, all following the IS group’s call for violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Syria’s official SANA news agency said some 120 civilians were killed by IS fighters since Thursday in Kobani, describing the killings as a “massacre.” It gave no details, but Kobani-based activist Mustafa Bali told The Associated Press that as many as 142 were killed, mostly civilians shot dead in cold blood, and 183 were wounded.

At least 40 IS militants also were killed, their bodies left unclaimed on the town’s streets, said Bali.

IS militants remained fortified in buildings in several districts of this northern Syrian town on the Turkish-Syrian border, he added. They were holding hostages in three locations, he said. A fourth location, a restaurant, was stormed by Kurdish fighters who freed the hostages and killed several IS fighters earlier in the day, Bali said.

Also Friday, a suicide car-bombing targeted a security building in the northeastern town of Hassakeh, which also came under a surprise IS attack on Thursday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 20 troops were killed and the building was badly damaged.