BEIRUT: Iraqi Kurdish fighters have joined the fight against Islamic State militants in Kobani, hoping their support for fellow Kurds backed by US-led air strikes will keep the ultra-hard-line group from seizing the town.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the civil war, said heavy clashes erupted in Kobani and that both sides had suffered casualties, while the US military said it had launched more air raids on Islamic State over the weekend.

Idriss Nassan, deputy minister for foreign affairs in Kobani district, said Iraqi Kurds using long-range artillery had joined the battle on Saturday night against Islamic State.

“The peshmerga joined the battle late yesterday and it made a big difference with their artillery. It is proper artillery,” he said. “We didn’t have artillery we were using mortars and other locally made weapons. So this is a good thing.”

The arrival of the 150 peshmerga or “those who confront death” marks the first time Turkey has allowed troops from outside Syria to reinforce Syrian Kurds, who have been defending Kobani for more than 40 days.