Peshmerga convoy makes its way through Turkey en route to Kobani

(29 Oct 2014) A convoy of Iraqi Kurdish fighters and weaponry passed through Turkey on Wednesday, en route to fight extremists from the Islamic State group in the beleaguered Syrian town of Kobani.
The convoy drove through the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Cizre after entering Turkey through the Habur border crossing.
Crowds waving flags cheered them on as they drove toward the Syrian border.
Just hours before, a separate group of Iraqi Kurdish fighters, or Peshmerga, landed at the Sanliurfa airport, some 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Kobani.
The 150 fighters left the airport in buses escorted by Turkish security forces and are expected to travel to Kobani through the Mursitpinar border crossing.
The Islamic State group launched its offensive on Kobani and nearby Syrian villages in mid-September, killing more than 800 people, according to activists.
The Sunni extremists captured dozens of Kurdish villages around Kobani and control parts of the town.
More than 180-thousand people have fled across the border into Turkey.


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