The US military has dropped weapons, ammunition and medical aid to Kurdish forces defending Kobani against Islamic State (Isis) militants, while Turkey has said it will allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to reinforce the Syrian border town.
Following several weeks of air strikes by the US-led coalition in and around Kobani, the air drops were the first time weapons and ammunition had been provided to local Kurdish forces.
According to Lahur Jangi Talabani, director of the intelligence agency of the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, 24 tons of small arms and ammunition and 10 tons of medical supplies were delivered to Kobani in three US C-130 cargo planes on Sunday.
The weapons were all supplied by the autonomous Kurdish authorities in Iraq. Turkish media reported that the US military did not use Turkish air space for the airdrops.
The US secretary of state, John Kerry, said on Monday the Obama administration decided to airdrop weapons and ammunitions to “valiant” Kurds because it would be “irresponsible” and “morally very difficult” not to support them.
Meanwhile the Turkish government said on Monday it would help Kurdish fighters from northern Iraq cross the Turkish border into Syria to fight in Kobani.
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