IS closing in on Syria's Kurdish city

Islamic State (IS) militants are closing in on the Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Syria, as violent battles between Kurdish fighters and the armed group continue around the contested city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Thursday.

Intense clashes are raging between the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and IS militants surrounding the city, Xinhua reported citing the Observatory.

According to the Syrian opposition human rights group, the YPG withdrew to the city's outskirts as IS fighters advanced from the western part of the city.

Now the Islamist militants are only two or three km away from the western part of Kobane. They are pushing forward into the eastern and southeastern parts of the city as well.

It said the YPG and other Kurdish militants are preparing for street fight tactics amid a "real fear" that the IS would carry out massacres if it succeeds in storming the Kurdish dominated city, which is also known as Ayn al-Arab, located on the borders with Turkey.

The Observatory reported that a large number of civilians refused to leave Kobane, preferring to "die defending it." It added that the IS has captured over 350 villages around Kobane since their wide-scale offensive started 16 days ago to control the city.

The Observatory also reported that the US-led anti-terror coalition launched airstrikes on IS positions in the towns of Manbej and Bab in Aleppo province.

So far, the US airstrikes have not been much successful in stemming the advance of IS fighters toward Kobane.