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1st LD: IS executes 20 people in Syria's Kobane, detonate another car bomb

Xinhua, June 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Islamic State (IS) militants on Thursday executed 20 people in the predominantly-Kurdish city of Ayn al-Arab, or Kobane, in northern Syria, and detonated a second car bomb in the city within hours.

The IS executed 20 civilians and wounded 15 others, after locals fought back an IS surprise attack in the town of Barkh Butan in southern Ayn al-Arab, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Five IS militants were killed in Barkh Butan before fleeing, encircled from three directions by Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG), according to the London-based monitor group.

Meanwhile, intense clashes continued in several southern districts of Ayn al-Arab.

A total of 12 Kurdish fighters and civilians along with eight IS militants were killed during Thursday's battle in Ayn al-Arab, where Kurdish fighters drove out IS militants five months ago, said the Observatory.

It added that IS militants detonated a second car bomb Thursday at a border crossing between Ayn al-Arab and Turkey, without going into further details.

This latest attack on Ayn al-Arab apparently came as retaliation to a major attack by Kurdish fighters on an IS stronghold in Syria's northern province of Raqqa, IS's de facto capital.

The IS on Wednesday dispatched reinforcement to areas in northern Raqqa to buttress its stance against the YPG. Endit