The United States, in a tactical shift, has begun dropping weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to forces fighting Islamic State terrorists near Kobani, according to media reports.
The New York Times reported that three C-130 transport aircraft on Sunday had dropped 27 parcels of weapons, ammunition and medical supplies sent by Kurdish authorities in Iraq, citing Pentagon statements.
Reuters described the announcement as seemingly the first public acknowledgement that the United States was providing weapons to rebels in Syria.
Coalition aircraft have struck more than 135 times in and around Kobani in recent weeks, as heavily armed IS fighters with armored vehicles have besieged the town along Syria's border with Turkey, the reports said.
Pentagon officials described the Kobani situation as fragile and warned that the town may still fall, the reports said.
