Syrian shells hit Turkish soil as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town

Islamic State launched an offensive to try to capture the border town of Kobani more than a week ago, besieging it from three sides. More than 140,000 Kurds have fled the town and surrounding villages since last Friday, crossing into Turkey. 

The Sunni insurgents appeared to have taken control of a hill from where fighters from the YPG, the main Kurdish armed group in northern Syria, had been attacking them in recent days, 10 km (6 miles) west of Kobani, a Reuters correspondent said. 


Booms of artillery and bursts of machinegun fire echoed across the border, and at least two shells hit a vineyard on the Turkish side. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Turkey and paramilitary police arrived to inspect the site. 

"We're afraid. We're taking the car and leaving today," said vineyard owner Huseyin Turkmen, 60, as small arms fire rang out in the Syrian hills just to the south. 

Kurdish forces said on Thursday they had pushed back the advance on Kobani by Islamic State fighters but appealed for U.S.-led air strikes to target the insurgents' tanks and heavy armaments...........http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.617797
26/9/14
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Related:

• Turkey has scotched claims that warplanes involved in attacks on militants in Syria used the Incirlik air base and Turkish air space.

• Islamic State advances on Kurdish town in Syria after US-led air strikes

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