U.S. Boosts Kurds' Effort To Hold Kobane

05:38

October 20, 2014

Thick smoke from an airstrike by the US-led coalition rises in Kobani, Syria, as seen from a hilltop on the outskirts of Suruc, at the Turkey-Syria border, Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab, and its surrounding areas, has been under assault by extremists of the Islamic State group since mid-September and is being defended by Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

The U.S. is dropping weapons and ammunition from the air to help the Kurdish fighters who are trying to hold the Syrian town of Kobane from fighters from the Islamic State.

The bid to hold the town, which is on Syria's border with Turkey, also got a boost today when Turkey said it would allow Iraqi Kurds to use Turkish territory to enter Syria to join the fight.

Kasra Naji from the BBC joins Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson to talk more about the situation in Kobane.

Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.

Guest

Kasra Naji, BBC correspondent. He tweets @BBCKasraNaji.

This segment aired on October 20, 2014.

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