Kurdish forces in Kobane have halted the current Islamic State (Isis) advance, with only sniper fire reported from the besieged town yesterday.

Warplanes from the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates launched four air raids in Syria over the weekend, including three in Kobane that destroyed an Isis fighting position and staging area.

US diplomats have been speaking with Turkish officials about efforts to equip and train Syrian rebels opposed to both Isis and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

They and European military officials will travel to Turkey this week to meet officials and discuss the different ways Turkey can contribute.

A Turkish government official confirmed yesterday that Ankara has agreed with the US to train 4,000 Syrian opposition fighters vetted by Turkish intelligence.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Isis forces have failed to advance in Kobane since Friday but are sending in reinforcements.

Observatory head Rami Abdurrahman said that Isis appears to have a shortage of fighters and has brought in members of its religious police known as the Hisbah to take part in the battles.

Kurdish activist Farhad Shami in Kobane said that Isis fighters had launched an offensive south of the town on Saturday but had been repelled and lost many fighters.

He said that Kurdish fighters had regained the border village of Tel Shair, west of Kobane.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported yesterday that five Afghans killed in Syria fighting against Isis had been buried in the holy Shi’ite city of Qom.

Hundreds of Kurds marched through Beirut to the UN headquarters at the weekend, demanding help for those defending Kobane.

Over 20,000 Kurds demonstrated in the German city of Duesseldorf on Saturday, waving flags of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and holding banners of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Similar protests last week turned violent in some German cities when Kurds clashed with supporters of a hard-line jihadist movement.

A number of demonstrations took place in other German cities, while thousands of Kurdish protesters also marched in Paris on Saturday to demonstrate against Isis.