ISIS fighters have entered the Syrian town of Kobane once again, according to activists. The Islamic State was driven out of the town some months ago after a long battle with Kurdish troops aided by Western air power.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says a number of people were killed in fierce clashes in the centre of the town on the Syrian-Turkish border, the BBC reports.

The battle made international headlines - heralding what some saw as a symbolic defeat for the IS.

IS has suffered a string of defeats to Kurdish forces since then.

Early this week Kurdish YPG forces said they had captured a key town, Ain Issa, just 50km from the IS headquarters at Raqqa, days after seizing Tal Abyad and cutting a major supply line for IS.