IS claims Kobani battle ‘nearly over’ / THE PROPAGANDA WAR

MESOP News Roundup SYRIA : Tuesday, October 28

The Islamic State is close to capturing the besieged Kurdish city of Kobani, according to a propaganda video IS released Monday featuring kidnapped British journalist John Cantlie reportedly from inside the city, even as a Kobani-based journalist told Syria Direct Tuesday that Kurdish forces continue to hold out.

“IS controls the southeast area of Kobani, where they’ve been for the past 15 days,” said Mustafa al-Abdi, a Kurdish journalist in Kobani. “Kurdish forces control the southwest, and a collection of FSA-affiliated groups dominate the west.”The IS propaganda video, however, claims that the militant organization is close to victory. “The battle for Kobani is coming to an end,” Cantlie says in the video. “It is not an all-out battle here, it is nearly over.” Cantlie was captured in November 2012 along with American journalist James Foley, who was executed earlier this year.