Why the Islamic State Raided Kobani

In the early hours of June 25, Islamic State fighters formed up under cover of darkness to launch two very distinct attacks in northern Syria. To the northeast, a sustained assault on the city of al-Hasaka beat back forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, which enabled the Islamic State to take several outlying suburbs. Though this attack was the more strategically significant action, a swift and violent raid on the Kurdish-occupied town of Kobani on the Turkish border generated much more public outcry. This is not without good reason.