MURSITPINAR, / - Kurdish defenders held off Islamic State militants in 's border town of on Sunday, but the fighters struck with deadly bombings in , killing dozens of Kurds in the north and assassinating a provincial police commander in the west.

The top US military officer suggested that Washington, which has ruled out joining ground combat in either or , could nevertheless increase its role "advising and assisting" Iraqi troops on the ground in the future.



In , the main focus in recent days has been on the mainly Kurdish town of near the Turkish border, where Kurdish defenders have been trying to halt an advance by fighters who have driven 200,000 refugees across the border.

The jihadists have laid siege to the town for nearly four weeks and fought their way into it in recent days, taking control of almost half of the town. A UN envoy has said thousands of people could be massacred if falls.