Nightlong battle in Kobane leaves 33 ISIS militants dead

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The Peoples Protection Units (YPG) killed 33 militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Kobane on Friday, said the group in a statement.

The YPG media center said in a press release that ISIS militants attacked the Kurdish forces Friday evening, leading to a nightlong battle between both sides.

“As a result of the fighting 26 ISIS militants were killed and a number of weapons and vehicles were captured,” said the YPG.

The Kurdish force said that ISIS had attacked with tanks and heavy artillery.

On the eastern front of the city, the YPG said its fighters killed seven Islamist militants in two counterattacks against the radical group.

YPG fighters have been defending the Kurdish city of Kobane against an ISIS invasion since early September.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in its December report that ISIS has lost about 1,400 fighters in 80 days of fighting in Syria, most of them in Kobane.