A desperate act by a female Kurdish defender in the ISIS-besieged town of Kobani in Syria eliminated dozens of the savage global jihadists but they ultimately managed to breach Kurdish defenses.
Arin Mirkan blew herself up on the eastern flank of Kobani, allowing Kurdish forces to strike back at fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) who were shelling the town on three sides with tanks and mortar fire.
First reported by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Mirkan’s suicide bombing significantly slowed down the ISIS advance, which was less than a mile away from Kobani at the time.
But on Tuesday, ISIS terrorists succeeded in taking several buildings in Kobani and gained attacking positions from two sides of the city, according to sources quoted by the Observatory. Two ISIS flags were still visible over the eastern side of Kobani, according to Reuters reporters watching from across the Turkish side of the border, who said they also heard sporadic gunfire.
More than 2,000 Syrian Kurds, including women and children, were evacuated from the town on Monday, according to the PYD Kurdish Democratic Union Party.
The Kurdish YPG (People’s Defense Units) reported the same day that 15 of its fighters had died in action against ISIS. Kobani spokesperson Idris Nahsen told the Observatory the current US-led Allied air strikes alone were not enough to help hold off the ISIS advance.
At least 33 ISIS fighters and 23 Kurdish defenders were killed during seven US-led coalition air strikes in the Kobani area, according to the Observatory.
“Of our martyrs was valiant comrade Arin [Mirkan], she was able to perform a fedai action [self-immolation] and kill dozens of ISIS mercenaries and stop their advance, such strong will and determination shown by comrade Arin will be the spirit of resistance in the hearts of all of our combatants of the People’s Defence Units and Women’s Defence Units,” said a YPG statement quoted by the International Business Times.