Islamic State tries to take control of Kobane in Syria

The IS militants are trying to capture the Syrian town of Kobane on the Syria-Turkey border bbc.com. If the IS can capture the town, also known as Ayn al-Arab, it would enable them to have unbroken control of a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.
Therefore, there is heavy fighting going on between Kurdish militiamen and the advancing Islamic State (IS) militants on the northern Syrian town. Witnesses have reported seeing explosions and smoke rising from buildings hit by shells near the border.
Reports indicate that IS has moved to within a few kilometers of the town in spite of the US-led air strikes that want to halt its two-week offensive.
Ahmet Davutoglu ,Turkey's prime minister, has promised that Turkey would do whatever it could to prevent the fall of Kobane. He said this shortly after the Turkish parliament authorized military operations against militants in Iraq and Syria who threaten Turkey's security, and also for foreign troops to use Turkish bases.
The threat posed by the Islamic State is felt all over the world and Australia's cabinet has given its approval for its aircraft to begin flying combat missions in Iraq. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said that IS was a "death cult" that had "declared war on the world" and had to be stopped.
The UN has also remarked that a "staggering array" of human rights abuses has been committed by Islamic State (IS) militants and associated armed groups.