Iran, which unlike the West supports President Bashar al Assad’s regime, criticised the “passivity of the international community” in the face of the IS offensive.
But analysts said that a lack of ground support for air strikes against IS, and Turkey’s reluctance to step in militarily, had all but sealed Kobane’s fate.
“It is practically too late to save Kobane at this stage,” said Mario Abou Zeid, a Beirut based analyst with the Carnegie Middle East Centre.
The United States and its allies have launched nearly 2,000 air raids against jihadists in both Iraq and Syria — with Canada the latest to join the aerial war after lawmakers on Tuesday approved a six month mission.
But Abou Zeid said: “The expansion of Islamic State forces in Kobane is new proof that the air strikes campaign is failing to achieve its objective.”
– ‘Fight to the last’ –
At least 412 people, more than half of them jihadists, have been killed in and around Kobane since IS began its assault in mid September, according to the Observatory.
The defenders have vowed to “fight to the last person,” said Kobane activist Mustafa Ebdi.
Kurdish journalist Ozgur Amed said thousands of civilians were still inside the town. “They don’t want to become refugees,” he said.
“Our morale is still good,” he told AFP by telephone from inside Kobane. “We are just afraid of the humanitarian situation getting worse.”
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that Washington was “very concerned” about the safety of civilians in Kobane.
“Once again, we are seeing this extremist organisation, in the name of an otherwise peaceful religion, Islam, perpetrating terrible acts of violence against religious and ethnic minorities.”
“This is something we remain concerned about.”
The FBI appealed for help to track people planning to join the IS group in combat.
It said about a dozen Americans are fighting with the group, which has been accused of carrying out widespread atrocities including mass executions and torture.
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