Victory dance: Kurds celebrate driving ISIS out of Kobane with synchronised jig
- Islamic State fighters admit for the first time they were defeated in Kobane
- Two militants revealed airstrikes by US-led coalition prompted withdrawal
- Comes days after Kurdish officials said Kobane was cleared of ISIS fighters
- US and allies launched 27 air strikes across Iraq and Syria since Friday
A video showing Kurdish fighters celebrating defeating ISIS in the Syrian town of Kobane has emerged online.
The clip shows a large group of young Kurdish fighters, both men and women, holding hands as they perform a traditional dance and cheer following their victory over the militants.
The joyful celebration follows members of the Islamic State officially admitting defeat on Saturday, but promising to strike again.
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Victory dance: A group of Kurdish fighters join hands and dance in celebration of their win in Kobane
Winners: ISIS officially admitted being defeated in Kobane on Saturday, but have threatened retaliation
Speaking on behalf of ISIS, two militants said the airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition were the main reason why they had been forced to withdraw from Kobane.
The admissions were made in a a video released by the pro-ISIS Aamaq News Agency late Friday, in which the fighters vowed to retaliate against the Kurdish militia.
On Monday, activists and Kurdish officials said the town was almost cleared of IS fighters, who once held nearly half of Kobane.
The failure to capture Kobane was a major blow to ISIS, whose hopes for an easy victory turned into a costly siege under airstrikes by coalition forces and an assault by Kurdish Peshmerga,
The United States and its allies have carried out 27 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria since Friday, the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operation reported on Saturday.
Three cheers: The video of the celebratory dance emerged online shortly after the 'official' defeat
The Kurdish fighters dancing were made up mainly of women, who have been on the front lines in Kobane
Cause for celebration: ISIS admitted defeat on Saturday, but said it was mainly a result of coalition airstrikes
Some 13 air strikes targeted areas near Kobane in just 24 hours, it was reported on Wednesday.
The strikes around Kobane hit 12 Islamic State tactical units and a vehicle, and destroyed nine fighting positions, a staging area and three buildings, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.
The Pentagon said at the time that the militants had been driven out of 90 percent of Kobane, a city near the border with Turkey where fighting has raged for four months.
Six air strikes in northern Iraq, where Islamic State has seized swathes of territory, targeted al Asad, Kirkuk, Mosul and Sinjar, hitting tactical units, a checkpoint, six buildings and six shipping containers, the task force said.
Final blow: Airstrikes by the US-led coalition were the main reason why extremists were forced to withdraw from the town, according to two of the group's fighters
Big hit: Some 13 air strikes targeted areas near Kobane in just 24 hours last week, it has been reported
Remains of the day: The failure to capture Kobane was a major blow to the extremists, whose hopes for an easy victory turned into a costly siege under airstrikes by coalition forces and an assault by Kurds
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