Syrian Kurds Claim ISIS Thwarted in Tel Abyad

Only Confirms Four Killed in Major Attack, However

Yesterday, large numbers of ISIS fighters attacked the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad, seizing a significant portion of the eastern part of the town. Today, Kurdish officials are reporting they’ve thwarted the attack and expelled ISIS outright.

Though monitors have affirmed that the Kurdish YPG appears to have full control over Tel Abyad again, the fact that the YPG is claiming only four ISIS fighters were killed in the day-long battle is puzzling, and suggests that the attack was simply a hit-and-run.

That’s the exact opposite of what the YPG was saying, as yesterday they claimed ISIS was trying a Kobani style strike, and had committed “mass suicide” by attacking the town and getting surrounded. Somehow, four seems much less mass than what was expected.

The fighting in Kobani late last week left around 300 people dead, including scores of ISIS fighters. Though Tel Abyad is a much smaller target, one would assume ISIS would’ve sent a meaningful force there, particularly since it appears to be an important commerce route between ISIS territory and Turkey.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.