KOBANE, Syria, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Kurdish troops in Syria have taken full control of the battleground city of Kobane away from Islamic State capture.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reports indicate that Kurdish troops in Syria, also known as the People's Protection Unit or YPG, took control of the city of Kobane, which borders Turkey, but has to deal with dozens of mines left by IS and some clashes.


YPG's seizure of Kobane comes a week after taking a strategic hilltop that overlooks the city and allowed Islamic State resupply routes to be within the line of fire of Kurdish troops.

90% of Kobane is now on péshmerga's hands. Kurds deserve respect and admiration!! pic.twitter.com/WfRpzXDxrK — urko aiartza (@uaiartza) January 26, 2015

In the ongoing battle for control of Kobane since September, the city had "the same kind of destruction that happened in Stalingrad," a Kurdish soldier said in reference to the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. "But the people's will is strong."