MESOP : TODAY’S GENERAL OVERWIEW KOBANE Syria Daily: Street-to-Street Battles In Kobane Between Kurds and Islamic State

By Scott Lucas October 12, 2014 11:31 Updated  –  US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that he is prepared for the loss of Kobane to the Islamic State, as well as parts f Iraq, because the US lead a coalition in the defeat of the jihadists.

Kerry told the Voice of Aemerica, “There will be disappointments…as we are witnessing in Kobane, and in other places — in Anbar [western Iraq] and elsewhere — because it is just ramping up. It is just getting going.” Kerry assured, “In the end, ISIL [the Islamic State] will recognize that the power of justice and law, and rule of law and civility is much more powerful than their hatred and their atrocities.”

The Secretary of State backed away from Washington’s blame of Turkey for the Islamic State’s advance in Kobane, including US criticism that Ankara did not send in ground troops:

Turkey is participating, and Turkey will be helping in certain ways. But, it is clear that different parties don’t want Turkey on the ground in Kobani, ranging from Kurds themselves to Iraqis to Syrians and so forth.

There was little firm news on Saturday on the state of the fight for the Kurdish center of Kobane in northern Syria, amid claims of street-to-street battles in the heart of the town.

Kurdish officials gave conflicting accounts of the defense against the Islamic State, which occupies about 40% of the town after taking the administrative quarter and main police station on Friday.

“We have a problem, which is the war between houses,” said Esmat al-Sheikh, head of the Kobani defence council. “The airstrikes are benefiting us, but Islamic State is bringing tanks and artillery from the east….Yesterday we saw T-57 tanks.”

However, lawyer Anwar Muslim, the head of the town council, insisted:

We are getting stronger. What we wanted from the beginning was to get rid of the heavy weapons so we can fight honestly. They tried everything to get inside [Kurdish-controlled areas], but for now they are still outside.

The US said it carried out six airstrikes near Kobane on Friday and Saturday