WASHINGTON
A Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday that the situation in a northern Syrian town remains "tenuous" despite U.S. airstrikes there and the resupplying of Kurdish forces fighting ISIL.
Kobani is still controlled by Kurdish forces and the U.S. will continue to hit ISIL targets near the town as the extremist group still threatens it, Pentagon spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby said during a press briefing.
He added, however, "It’s still a very mixed, contested environment."
Although the airstrikes and airdrops to resupply Kurdish forces will help slow down ISIL, this doesn't mean that anyone can "forecast success" there, he said.
For more than a week, U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the Kurdish town may fall to ISIL at any time as the terror group flows more military assets into it to counter intensified U.S. airstrikes on ISIL targets.
To date, U.S. forces have carried out more than 140 airstrikes against ISIL near Kobani, according to U.S. Central Command, and have also airdropped 28 bundles of arm and medical supplies to Kurdish forces in Kobani. One of the bundles missed its target but was destroyed by U.S. forces to prevent ISIL from gaining access to the supplies.
ISIL militants are inside Kobani in some strength but they have not made much progress, but Kirby added that the situation could "definitely change" anytime.
It is estimated that the U.S. is spending about $7.6 million per day on the military efforts against ISIL. Kirby noted that the U.S. has spent $424 million since kinetic operations began Aug. 8.
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