The
efforts of the Kurdish fighters -- known as the YPG, or People's
Protection Units -- on the ground were backed by an extensive campaign
of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS.
And
according to the interviews given to ISIS aligned Amak news agency in
Syria, it was those airstrikes that won the battle for Kobani, referred
to by the fighters as Ayn Al-Islam.
"Recently, we have withdrawn from Ayn
Al-Islam bit by bit, because of the airstrikes and deaths of a number of
our brothers," said one of the two fighters, his face covered apart
from his eyes.
He points to a scene of destruction behind him but vows that ISIS will persist, "and this is the message we send to Obama.
"The second fighter, interviewed by Amak stood near a road sign reading
Ayn Al-Islam. He said ISIS forces had raided 360 villages around Kobani,
from which the defenders "ran away like rats."
But the reason behind their withdrawal
from the city, he said, "is that we no longer had places to hold there.
We were inside Ayn Al-Islam and we occupied more than 70%, but the
airstrikes did not leave any building standing, they destroyed
everything."
His horror of the airstrikes was apparent.
"I
swear by God, their planes did not leave the air, day and night; they
did airstrikes all day and night. They targeted everything. They even
attacked vehicles; they have not left a building standing."
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