Historical eventSeptember 162014

Siege of Kobanî

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant launches its Kobani offensive against Syrian–Kurdish forces.

Everything on September 16Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, September 16 201412 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2014.

What came before

Background During the Syrian Civil War , the People's Protection Units (YPG) took over Kobanî (Arabic: Ayn al-Arab) on 19 July 2012. [ 1 ] Since then, the city has been under Kurdish control, while the YPG and Kurdish politicians exercise autonomy for what they call Rojava . [ 2 ] In August 2013, Islamic State, the al-Nusra Front , Ahrar al-Sham , the Suqour al-Sham Brigade , and the al-Tawhid Brigade announced that they would besiege Kobanî. However,

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

The Islamic State sought to expand its territorial control in northern Syria and eliminate the Kurdish-held Kobanî Canton, which lay along a strategic corridor between IS-controlled territory in Syria and Turkey. IS forces had already captured nearby towns and were advancing systematically westward toward the Turkish border.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

The Islamic State launched the offensive with thousands of fighters and heavy weapons. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and allied local militias defended Kobanî, supported by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes that began in late September.

Turkey's military presence along the border and eventual provision of support to Kurdish forces played a secondary role. Civilian populations fled the city as fighting intensified.

TimelineAI-assisted

IS forces attacked Kobanî on September 13, 2014, breaching the city's outer defenses within days. The U.S.-led coalition began airstrikes on September 23 to support Kurdish defenders.

Heavy fighting continued through October and November 2014. Kurdish forces, reinforced by fighters from Iraq and Turkey, gradually pushed back IS forces, fully liberating the city by January 26, 2015.

What happened

The siege of Kobanî was launched by the Islamic State (IS) on 13 September 2014, in order to capture the Kobanî Canton and its main city of Kobanî in northern Syria, in the de facto autonomous region of Rojava.

September 16 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 2004Hurricane Ivan
  2. 2005Camorra
  3. 2007Nisour Square massacre
  4. 2007One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269
  5. 2013Washington Navy Yard shooting
  6. 2014Siege of Kobanî
  7. 20152015 Illapel earthquake
  8. 20212021 Luxian earthquake
  9. 2021Inspiration4
  10. 2022Let Yet Kone massacre
  11. 2022Death of Mahsa Amini

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Everything we record for 2014 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Siege of Kobanî”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/siege-of-kobani-2014-september-16, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Siege of Kobanî happen?

September 16 2014 — 12 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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