Plumes of smoke rose from the Syrian border town of Kobani today as a US-led coalition launched more air strikes against Islamic State targets.

Turkish troops kept a close eye on the embattled town from near the border.

Loud explosions were heard on the Turkish border with Syria as clouds of smoke filled the sky over the besieged town.

The battle for Kobani - known in Arabic as Ayn al-Arab - has become a test of the US-led coalition's ability to stop Islamic State's advance.

Islamic State has been trying to take control of the town for more than two months in an assault that has driven tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians over the border into Turkey and drawn strikes by US-led forces.

The defense of Kobani has drawn in Kurdish peshmerga fighters from Iraq as well as Syrian rebel fighters.

The US military said on Monday that it had carried out nine strikes near Kobani since late last week, destroying seven Islamic State positions, four staging areas and one unit belonging to the group.

 

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