Jul 16, 2014

The Islamic State (IS, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham), in its bid to control Syria’s border with Turkey, is now attacking Kobani, a town controlled by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), located between Carablus and Tell Abyad, which are under IS control. IS launched its offensive about 10 days ago from Carablus, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Kobani, by attacking and seizing a string of villages on the route.

IS has been using social media to issue threats against the PYD in connection with the July 19 events. Reports say that on July 19, 2012, the PYD’s army, the People's Protection Units (YPG), seized control of Kobani, and IS now wants to terminate that control on the date it was imposed.

Following the offensive launched by IS against locations abutting the border with Turkey, Turkish army units in the region have gone on alert after realizing the clashes will continue and could even escalate. Additional army units have been deployed to the area between Gaziantep’s Karkamis and Sanliurfa’s Suruc towns. The army has also intensified armored patrols around the clock and increased its observation posts along the border. Soldiers at the posts, equipped with thermal cameras, are carefully monitoring the Syrian side of the border 24 hours a day and reporting to their commanders.

Meanwhile, measures have been taken at permanent border outposts, which were reinforced with tanks, artillery, armored vehicles and air defense radars. Security measures in the village of Mursitpinar, which is directly opposite Kobani, have been stepped up. There are now dozens of tanks parked at the base of the 6th Company of the 2nd Border Battalion at Mursitpinar.

Soldiers who are closely monitoring the clashes between IS and the YPG along the border are also combating smuggling operations and illegal border crossings. Due to the increase of armed Syrian smuggler groups, soldiers have dug ditches along some parts of the border. At critical locations along the border from Hatay to Mardin, the army is digging ditches ranging in length from a kilometer to 20 kilometers (12 miles), measuring two to four meters wide, to impede smuggling and illegal crossings.