Islamist militants known as ISIL have released a video showing British hostage John Cantlie walking around what he says are the ruins of the besieged Syrian Kurdish border town of Kobani.<br /><br />In an apparently scripted “report” Cantlie says the battle for the town “is nearly over” and the militants are “mopping up now”. <br /><br />Kobani has witnessed intense fighting between Kurdish militias and ISIL for more than a month. <br /><br />The video which is unverified and taken off social media appears to be one of a series featuring the 43-year-old journalist, who was seized in late 2012. <br /><br />Latest verified footage from Kobani shows US-led airstrikes on ISIL positions.<br /><br />On Monday there were heavy clashes and sporadic exchanges of mortar fire in the town.<br /><br />A deployment of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters which Turkey said could cross its border into Syria to help defend Kobani has not yet arrived.
