The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has advanced into the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani, right on the Turkish border.
More than 2,000 women, children and other Syrian Kurds were evacuated from the town a day earlier, on Monday, according to a statement by a member of the PYD Kurdish Democratic Union Party, quoted by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Between three and four thousand ISIS fighters have been advancing steadily towards the town for days, although Kurdish fighters have held them off for some time.
As of Tuesday, however, two ISIS flags were seen to be flying over the eastern side of Kobani, visible to Reuters journalists monitoring the action from the Turkish side of the border. The reporters said they could also hear sporadic gunfire.
U.S.-led coalition air strikes against the ISIS forces apparently were not effective in stopping the ISIS fighters.