Kurdish forces held off a Daesh attack on the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain, a monitor told AFP. But the militants advanced in another strategic area near the town of Tal Tamr.
Daesh launched a major offensive to try to capture Ras al-Ain on Wednesday, which would have granted them easier border access with Turkey. The group has claimed a village near Tal Tamr, where clashes have killed 22 Kurds and at least 18 Daesh members, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The extremists made a preemptive strike on Ras al-Ain because they feared the town would be used to try to reclaim another Daesh-held town in the west, the monitor told AFP.
Access to the border for the militants would provide an easier route for foreign fighters joining Daesh. Reports said over 20,000 supporters have already joined the group.
