Kurds seize key Syrian town from IS militants and cut off supply routes

Kurdish militia, backed by Syrian rebel forces, have seized control of a key border town from Islamic State, dealing a major blow to the militant group. Tal Abyad was used by the jihadists as a gateway from Turkey to its de facto capital Raqqa and its loss will restrict their access to supplies and new recruits, along with their ability to smuggle out black market oil. The group will now have to rely on border crossings much further west adding nearly 350km to their supply lines, according to observers.

Since dawn this morning, not a single bullet has been fired in Tal Abyad. Kurdish fighters now have full control.

Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

But the offensive by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, supported by U.S. airstrikes, has led thousands of people to flee the town. Refugees have poured across the border into Turkey in recent days as the militia have closed in. The UN Refugee Agency said 23,000 Syrians have fled the fighting. Meanwhile, Kurdish fighters and their rebel allies have been sweeping the town for mines and booby-trapped cars left behind by IS militants.

Middle East Tal Abyad