U.S. strikes, Kurdish fighters blocking Islamic State in Kobani: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday that U.S. air strikes around Kobani, coupled with pressure from Syrian Kurdish fighters on the ground, had helped to keep Islamic State militants from taking the city but it warned the town could still fall despite U.S. assistance. "The constant pressure from the air and ... the pressure from the ground by these Kurdish forces has done a lot to keep ISIL at bay from taking the whole town," said Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, using an acronym for Islamic State. "It doesn't mean that can forecast success." (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Sandra Maler)