Kurds march for Kobani as airstrikes continue

In Diyarbakir, in the Kurdish region of southeast Turkey, peaceful protesters marched while chanting: "Long live the struggle for Kobani."

The assault on Kobani has largely emptied the Turkish border city that was once home to hundreds of thousands of Syrians.

"The rallies in Turkey were the largest of scores of such pro-Kobani rallies worldwide," said Yekbun Eksen, a member of the Federation of Kurdish Associations of France. A rally in Paris, meanwhile, mobilized some 8,000 people on Saturday and hundreds of Kurds also marched peacefully in cities in Sweden and Denmark.

In villages along Turkey's border with Syria, Kurdish refugees from Kobani marched within eyeshot of their former home.

One demonstrator, Fatima Muslim said, "I came to show my support for my people and for the blood of our people."

"We've lost everything. They blew up our houses. And now we are in a refugee camp," the 55-year-old added.

US pushes ahead with strikes, peshmerga arrive

On Saturday, US fighter and bomber planes launched five attacks against "Islamic State" (IS) militants near Kobani, Central Command said.

The Kobani strikes "suppressed or destroyed" nine IS fighting positions and a building, according to Central Command. In Iraq, five airstrikes destroyed an IS vehicle southwest of Mosul Dam and hit four vehicles and four buildings used by militants near Qaim, it said in a statement.

The strikes came as 150 Iraqi fighters crossed the border to reinforce Syrian Kurds in the battle for Kobani. The fighters - known as peshmerga, or "those who defy death" - were preparing themselves for battle and are expected to take part in the action.

"What was lacking is the weapons and ammunition, so the arrival of more of it, plus the fighters, will help tip the balance of the battle," Idris Nassan, deputy foreign minister of Kobani district, told Reuters news agency.

IS has been waging a battle for Kobani since late September, as part of its five-month jihadist onslaught throughout northern Syria and Iraq.

glb/ksb (Reuters, AP, dpa)