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THE American military airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies Sunday to Kurds fighting the Islamic State (IS) group in the flashpoint Syrian town of Kobane, in a move that could anger ally Turkey.
It is the first time the United States has made airdrops to Kurdish fighters defending Kobane and it represents an escalation in Washington’s efforts to support Syrian opposition forces against both IS jihadists and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Kurdish forces have been under IS assault for more than a month in Kobane, which is being battled over under the gaze of the world’s media massed just across the border in Turkey. The Kurds there were in “specific” and “urgent” need of resupply, a senior U.S. administration official said.
Three C-130 cargo aircraft carried out what U.S. military Central Command (CENTCOM) called “multiple” successful airdrops of supplies in the vicinity of Kobane, including small-arms weapons, provided by Kurdish authorities in Iraq.
The aircraft faced no resistance from the air or the ground. They were not accompanied by fighter jets and exited the area safely, a senior Obama administration official said. The official did not rule out a repeat operation if needed, possibly in the near future.
The supplies were “intended to enable continued resistance against the IS group’s attempts to overtake Kobane,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The airdrops, which officials said were made in 27 bundles, came after IS fighters reportedly took heavy losses Sunday from continued airstrikes conducted by U.S.-led coalition forces.
Washington and its Western allies have been pressing Turkey to take a more direct role in confronting the IS group in Kobane. But Ankara is reluctant to intervene militarily or to arm the Kurds, who have been historic foes demanding a separate state including parts of southeastern Turkey.(SD-Agencies)
Indonesia’s new President Joko Widodo gestures during his inauguration at the House of Representative building in Jakarta yesterday.SD-Agencies
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