Militants from the group calling itself Islamic State (ISIL) raised their flag on a building on the outskirts of the Syrian border town of Kobani.<br /><br />Intense fighting has been raging between Kurdish and ISIL fighters who have battled to control the predominately Kurdish town for almost three weeks.<br /><br />“ISIL have only planted a flag on one building on the eastern side of town,” said Ismail Eskin, a journalist in the town. “That is not inside the city, it’s on the eastern side. They are not inside the city. Intense clashes are continuing.”<br /><br />Turkey meanwhile has beefed up its military presence along the volatile frontier with Syria.<br /><br />Ankara had so far taken a back seat in the battle against ISIL but it has vowed to protect its own borders.<br /><br />Over a dozen Turkish tanks appeared to have taken up defensive positions on a hill in the Turkish town of Mursitpinar, just across the border from Kobani.<br /><br />Meanwhile the NATO military alliance will stand by Turkey if that proves necessary to protect the country from attacks by ISIL, NATO Secetary General Jens Stolenberg said on Monday.<br /><br />“Turkey should know that NATO will be there if there is any spillover, any attacks on Turkey as a consequence of the violence we see in Syria,” said Stolenberg.
