ISIL STRUGGLES FOR CONTROL OVER SYRIAN KURDISH AREAS

Kobane, Syria,  10 Ramadhan 1435/8 Juli 2014 (MINA) – Clashes broke out on Monday between the Kurdish forces of the Popular Protection Units (YPG) and al-Qaeda offshoot group of the Islamic State (previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant ‘ISIL’) in Kon Aftar village (25 km south of Kobane city) in Aleppo province, north of Syria.

Local activists from the vicinity of the clashes told ARA News and quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, that the clashes continued until Monday midnight, where the Islamic State (ISIL) targeted one of the YPG-held barriers inside Kon Aftar village, followed with violent artillery bombardment by the ISIL militants on the village, causing complete damage to an elementary school.

“The region experienced exodus among the people towards the more stable northern villages, the city of Kobane and the Turkish border. While many residents from Kobane carried their light and medium weapons to support the YPG against ISIL militants, where they installed roadblocks at the entrances to the villages and on the main roads,” local sources reported.

ARA News reporter confirmed that it is quite difficult to determine whether there were any casualties or injuries in the ranks of the conflicting parties or among civilians, due to the violent clashes which continued until Monday midnight.

Noteworthy, other clashes erupted on Sunday between the two sides (YPG versus ISIL) in several villages in the southern countryside of Kobane, ended with YPG’s control of both Jeb al-Faraj and Kharaj Atto villages. (T/P09/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)