ISIS Fighters Say Constant Airstrikes Drove Them Out Of Kobani

Two purported ISIS fighters interviewed for a news agency working in ISIS-held territory have given the same reason for the militants' retreat from the Syrian city of Kobani: the constant pummeling by coalition airstrikes.Kurdish fighters declared that they had released the city on the border to Turkey from ISIS' grip after 112 days of fighting.

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"Recently, we have withdrawn from Ayn Al-Islam bit by bit, because of the airstrikes and deaths of a number of our brothers," said one of the two fighters, his face covered apart from his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."