Kurdish Forces Seize IS Supply Route in Syria

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Militias fighting Islamic State militants in northern Syria say they have seized a main road linking the border town of Tal Abyad to IS headquarters in Raqqa.

The days-long campaign to oust IS fighters from along the section of Syria's border with Turkey is ongoing, but the supply route was cut off Monday, according to Kurdish officials.

Fighting in the area has pushed thousands of Syrians to seek refugee in Turkey, passing children over a barbed-wire fence to safety on the Turkish side in recent days to join an estimated 1.5 million other Syrians who fled Islamic State fighters and internal warring between pro- and anti-government forces.

Inside Turkey, opposition politicians have accused the government of allowing IS supporters and equipment to flow into Syria, in a bid to destabilize President Bashar al-Assad. Senior officials have denied the allegations.

http://www.voanews.com/content/kurdish-forces-seize-is-supply-route-in-syria/2822284.html

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1. ISIL withdraws to Raqqa as YPG advances to Tel Abyad

Protection Units (YPG) have advanced into districts of Tel Abyad controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL), prompting the terrorist group to pull back its forces to Raqqa, its self-declared capital in Syria, before facing a possible heavy defeat in the besieged border town.

A Reuters photographer near the scene said on Monday that members of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia took positions on the outskirts of the Tel Abyad.

YPG fighters, some with trucks carrying heavy machine guns, could be clearly seen arriving from the east of the town and taking up positions, the photographer said.

Tel Abyad Mayor İbrahim Bellud, who was at one time imprisoned by ISIL, earlier told Today's Zaman that the militant group had ransacked the city, even stripping a Tel Abyad hospital of all its equipment and moving it to Raqqa. The militant group took everything of value from the municipality, carrying 40,000 sacks of wheat to Raqqa, Bellud said.

http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_isil-withdraws-to-raqqa-as-ypg-advances-to-tel-abyad_387068.html

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2. Syrian Kurdish forces seize control of border post from ISIS: AFP

AKCAKALE, Turkey: Syrian Kurdish fighters seized control Monday of a key crossing on the Turkish border from ISIS, an AFP photographer reported.

Several fighters from Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) took up positions in the Syrian part of the Akcakale-Tal Abyad border post, which lies on a key supply route to ISIS' de facto capital Raqqa, the photographer said.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Jun-15/302217-syrian-kurdish-forces-seize-control-of-border-post-from-isis-afp.ashx

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3. Syria: Jubilant scenes as YPG Kurdish fighters pincer Isis inside Tel Abyad

Kurdish YPG forces have encircled the Islamic State (Isis)-held town of Tel Abyad, cutting off a key supply line for the jihadists' de facto capital of Raqqa.

YPG spokesman Redur Xelil told Reuters that its Syrian militia surrounded the town, which sits close to the Turkish border, with the help of US-led air strikes. "Tel Abyad is almost besieged now after the control of the Raqqa-Tel Abyad road," he said.

The Kurdish militia also liberated the border crossing point between the town and Turkey.

Kurdish forces sent reinforcements to the area south of Tel Abyad from its stronghold in Hasaka province, north east, and from Kobani, north west of Tel Abyad.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/syria-jubilant-scenes-ypg-kurdish-fighters-pincer-isis-inside-tel-abyad-1506242

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4. . nt

[Jesus Malverde]

5. They should keep pushing into Turkey.

Edrogan needs a reality check, he is a major supporter of terrorists.

[6chars]

6. Kurdistan

I don't know that much about the situation, but it really seems like the Kurds should have a state. They seem to already have armies like this. They are artificially a minority in states of Iraq, Sirya, TUrkey and Iran, and at best they are able to sort of isolate themselves. For some reason, US policy is not in favor of this. Anyone undesrtand why?

[Jesus Malverde]

7. Turkey is a NATO member and long time US surrogate.

Kurdistan would carve a piece out of them.

The US has been supporting a Kurdistan carving out a piece of Iraq.

Iraq's Kurds praise U.S. support, want more against ISIS

[Fred Sanders]

8. If it were "ISIS seizes Kurdish supply route", the American media would be on it like junk.

Ignore the mass media, ISIS is on the cusp of defeat. They always were.

Have you heard that with the capture of these territories, after the capture of Kobani to the east, that ISIS no longer controls any entire Province, either in Syria, or Iraq? "The Caliphate" is just another religiously based fevered dream world fantasy that religious zealots create all the time to support the obvious clash of their beliefs with the actual reality of the real world. (see 'Ted Cruz')

Tell your friends that at the water cooler.

Who really thinks a fractional and factional Muslim radical religious militia killing and enslaving other Muslims by the thousands would not be defeated.....by Muslims?

And we will all once again say, "Thanks, Obama's!" and move on to to the next round of Obama-bashing.

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9. Turkey disturbed as Syrian Kurds claim bigger role in anti-ISIL fight

With a string of victories over Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), Syria's Kurds are proving themselves an ever more dependable ally in the US-led fight against the jihadists and building influence that will make them a force in Middle Eastern politics.

Aided by US-led air strikes, the Kurdish-led YPG militia may have dealt ISIL its worst defeat to date in Syria by seizing the town of Tel Abyad at the Turkish border, cutting a supply route to the jihadists' de facto capital of Raqqa city.

The Kurds in northern Syria now control an uninterrupted 400 km stretch of the Turkish frontier, positioning them to help secure an area where the United States says more needs to be done to stop the flow of fighters joining ISIL.

The growing Kurdish sway is of no comfort to Turkey, worried by the risk of separatist sentiment among its own Kurds.

http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-disturbed-as-syrian-kurds-claim-bigger-role-in-anti-isil-fight_387623.html