October 2014

Map by @arabthomness

Oct 1:
Fighting on Turkish border as Kurds with US air support battle to defend key Syria town (Kobane) from ISIL:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11133351/Fighting-on-Turkish-border-as-Kurds-with-US-air-support-battle-to-defend-key-Syria-town-from-Isil.html

Oct 1:
Video report from the BBC: Two weeks in, Shelling of ‘besieged’ Kobane goes on. But some fear it’s not enough.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29452760

Oct 2:
Coalition Air strikes pounded terrorists around Kobane “We did not know the size of losses until now”

It was around this time that I was on the phone with Centcom’s public relations office telling them it wasn’t enough, that Kobane was going to fall if they didn’t step up the airstrikes.

Oct 3:
YPG Press Release: https://twitter.com/Alexblx/status/518342277199298560

Oct 3:
Joe Biden speaks bluntly about Turkey’s and others’ support for ISIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLYTG2kCUu0

Oct 4:
Reporter Jenan Moussa (who was on the Turkish side of the border at the time) said her and fellow reporters were teargassed by Turkish army at border close to Kobane: https://www.facebook.com/jenan.moussa.5/posts/10154867593680508

Oct 5:
Arin Mirkan: Female Kurdish Soldier Overtaken By ISIS Blows Herself Up, Killing Several Jihadists

Nathan Francis, Inquisitr

Oct 5:
Coalition Airstrikes on Kobane averaging 4-5 per day. Still a slow ramp-up:
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/fails-take-kobane-airstrikes-kill-more-five-fighters-371060255

Oct 5:
Kurdish female fighter in suicide attack on Isil amid fighting for key Syria town
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11142226/Kurdish-female-fighter-in-suicide-attack-on-Isil-amid-fighting-for-key-Syria-town.html
Telegraph/AFP

Oct 6:
Kurdish mother-of-two launches suicide attack to slow Islamic State advance in desperate battle for Kobane
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2782092/Mystery-surrounds-fate-Kurdish-female-fighter-poster-girl-reports-emerge-killed-bullet-avoid-taken-hostage-ISIS.html
DailyMail, John Hall and Larisa Brown

Oct 6:
Guardian: Syrian Kurds say airstrikes not doing enough:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/05/air-strikes-isis-not-working-syrian-kurds

Oct 7:
Kurdish female suicide bomber revealed to be mother of two
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/07/Kurdish-female-suicide-bomber-revealed-to-be-mother-of-two.html
Al Arabiya

Oct 8:
US Steps Up Airstrikes Near Kobane to 7-8 per day
EA Worldview

Oct 8:
Reporter Jenan Moussa on the ground: “Kurdish fighters say planes helped to stop ISIS advancing. But not enough to push them back.” https://twitter.com/jenanmoussa/status/519913455550078976

Oct 10:
News.com.au: US-led coalition ramps up air strikes in Kobane, Syria. 20 airstrikes in 2 days:
http://www.news.com.au/world/asia/usled-coalition-ramps-up-air-strikes-in-kobane-syria/story-fnh81fz8-1227085837395

Oct 11:
In memory of Arin Mirkan
http://kurdishquestion.com/oldsite/index.php/insight-research/analysis/in-memory-of-arin-mirkan/288-in-memory-of-arin-mirkan.html
Kurdish Question

Oct 11:
Telegraph: Kurdish fighters push back Islamic State in Kobane
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11155751/Kurdish-fighters-push-back-Islamic-State-in-Kobane.html

Oct 13:
Jenan Moussa: ISIS admits to selling and enslaving Yazidi women:

Oct 13:
Turkey agrees to let Washington use its bases including Incirlik for the air campaign. Female YPJ fighters filmed firing at Islamic State jihadists (Headline says Peshmerga, but I’m pretty sure that’s a mistake. I think they’re confusing Peshmerga with YPG).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11158970/Inside-Kobane-female-Peshmerga-fighter-filmed.html

Oct 14:
Bloomberg: Turkey Army Hits PKK Targets as Unrest Over Kobane Deepens
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-14/turkish-jets-in-first-strikes-since-pkk-peace-talk-says-hurriyet

Oct 15:
Jon Stewart: The Daily Show: Turkey denies access to airbase and bombs Kurds. He says it best:
http://thedailyshow.cc.com/video-playlists/n76v2p/the-daily-show-20011-highlights/4qdeys

Oct 15:
Chicago Tribune: Airstrikes on Kobane step up. General John Allen: “Clearly … given the circumstances associated with the defense of that town, there was a need for additional fire support to go in to try to relieve the defenders and to buy some white space, ultimately, for the reorganization on the ground. We have picked up the tempo and the intensity of the air strikes in order to provide that white space.”:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-islamic-state-airstrikes-kobani-20141015-story.html#page=1

Oct 15:
World Bulletin: Kurds five coordinates for Kobani Airstrikes:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/146295/kurds-give-coordinates-for-kobani-air-strikes

Oct 15:
Daily Mail: The great Kobane fightback: After symbolic recapture of hill with black flag of ISIS, Kurdish fighters take back swathes of city as US step up airstrikes:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2793880/the-great-kobane-fightback-symbolic-recapture-hill-black-flag-isis-kurdish-fighters-swathes-city-step-airstrikes.html#ixzz3eOoAQqnq

Oct 16:
BBC: Islamic State: What has Kobane battle taught us?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29650588

Oct 16:
Reuters: US State Dept held direct talks with Syrian Kurdish group in Syria
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/16/us-mideast-crisis-usa-kurds-idUSKCN0I52F520141016?irpc=932

Oct 17:
Rojava Report Blog: Interview With YPG Commander: ISIS Has Lost In Kobanê
https://rojavareport.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/interview-with-ypg-commander-isis-has-lost-in-kobane/

Oct 19:
“Kurdish journo in Kobane @arahmangok reports that ISIS carried out the attack last evening after another 400 ISIS arrived to eastern front.”

Oct 19:
Press Release from CentCom: AIRDROPS ARRIVE!

Oct 20:
Foreign Policy: U.S. Ramps Up Push to Save Key Syrian Town – Air drops Aid
http://linkis.com/atfp.co/fKox2

Oct 20:
Dr. Welat, working in #Kobane, says medical supplies airdropped by USA are very important, but will only last about a week.

Oct 22:
CentCom Press Release:

Oct 23:
Newsweek: Inside Kobane: The Diary of a Siege
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/24/kobane-diary-four-days-inside-city-keeping-incredible-and-unprecedented-277509.html

Oct 28:
Footage of airstrikes on Kobane, refugees on Turkish side watching their own home get bombed, applaud. Battle for city ongoing.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11193147/Explosions-and-smoke-in-Kobane-as-Kurdish-fighters-battle-Islamic-State.html

By Oct 30, nearly half of Kobane had been taken by ISIS but YPG started to gain ground back after this: