Kurds celebrate defeating IS in Kobani with synchronized victory dance
After Islamic State militants admitted defeat in the four-month battle for Kobani, young Kurds appeared to celebrate the victory with a synchronized dance.
In a video posted to Facebook and published online by the Daily Mail, young men and women dressed in green military uniforms are seen in a line dancing to music. It's unclear exactly when the celebration took place.
Early last week, Kurdish fighters raised their flag on a hill that once flew the Islamic State group's black banner, claiming Kobani was virtually IS-free.
In a video released by the pro-IS Aamaq News Agency late Friday, two masked fighters said airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition were the main reason why IS fighters — who once occupied more than half of the Syrian border town — were forced to withdraw.
"A while ago we retreated a bit from [Kobani] because of the bombardment and the killing of some brothers," said one masked fighter, according to the Associated Press. "The warplanes were bombarding us night and day. They bombarded everything, even motorcycles."
The IS fighters nonetheless vowed to defeat the main Kurdish militia in Syria, the People's Protection Units known as the YPG.
IS and the YPG had been fighting for control of the Kobani region since mid-September, with the extremist militant group capturing more than 300 Kurdish villages and forcing more than 200,000 Kurds from their homes. But the airstrikes took their toll. More than 1,000 IS fighters were killed, the AP said.
The Obama administration has vowed to fight IS in Syria without putting troops on the ground — something Republican critics say is a mistake.
“We have to go beyond just aggressive airstrikes," Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "We have to look at other surgical methods. And ultimately, we have to be prepared to put boots on the ground if that’s what it takes."
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