The Islamic State could be on the verge of capturing the besieged Syrian town of Kobani along the Turkish border. ISIS has taken major parts of Kobani after weeks of heavy attacks. Speaking in Geneva, U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura urged international intervention to prevent Kobani’s fall.

Staffan de Mistura: “The world has seen with its own eyes the images of what happens when a city in Syria or in Iraq is overtaken by the terrorist group called ISIS or Daesh: massacres, humanitarian tragedies, rapes, horrific violence. The city of Kobani on the northern border of Syria, close to Turkey, has been under siege now for three weeks. … They are fighting with normal weapons, whereas the ISIS has got tanks and mortars. The international community needs to defend them. The international community cannot sustain another city falling under ISIS.”