U.S. Airstrikes Continue On Syrian Town As Islamic State Maintains Ground

The United States crackdown on the Islamic State continued this week with more airstrikes being carried out on the Syrian town of Kobani.

According to the Associated Press, Islamic State militants were forced to call in reinforcements as they battled Kurdish forces in the streets and U.S. fighter jets attacked from the air. The airstrikes are taking place in Kobani, a town on the border of Syria and Turkey that has proved vital to Islamic State militants and their ability to move artillery.

According to Reuters, despite this week's airstrike, the Islamic State has managed to seize large swaths of land in Kobani that count for nearly a third of the city.

 "ISIS control more than a third of Kobani - all eastern areas, a small part of the northeast and an area in the southeast," Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told Reuters.

The U.S. has reportedly ruled out a ground mission in Syria, and is therefore attempting to destroy the Islamic State through a series of airstrikes.

Although the U.S. could use help from Turkey in fighting the Islamic State in Kobani, Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the chances of sending aid to the fight in Kobani are low.

"It is not realistic to expect Turkey to conduct a ground operation on its own," Cavusoglu said during a recent press conference. "We are holding talks ... Once there is a common decision, Turkey will not hold back from playing its part."