A journalist smuggled himself into the besieged battle zone of Kobani, Syria to get a first hand look at the destruction wrought on this small, but strategically important Syrian city.
Kobani, Syria
![A Kurdish female YPG fighter on her way to the Kobani frontline. Fighting between Kurdish and Islamic State forces has ravaged much of the city after nearly a month of fighting, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra Media)](https://gdb.voanews.com/D7E573F2-2E3E-4C76-83DE-1C2B835BFEFA_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
A Kurdish female YPG fighter on her way to the Kobani frontline. Fighting between Kurdish and Islamic State forces has ravaged much of the city after nearly a month of fighting, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra Media)
![A female Kurdish fighter walking toward the frontline, southern Kobani, Syria, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra)](https://gdb.voanews.com/2AC026DC-5C35-40B4-8C06-C2CB00C1AFB3_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
A female Kurdish fighter walking toward the frontline, southern Kobani, Syria, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra)
![This truck was rigged with explosives and used to attack Al-Salam Square in Kobani, Syria, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra Media)](https://gdb.voanews.com/A0A80842-3A77-4DCD-AE36-5BC5D7E725BF_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
This truck was rigged with explosives and used to attack Al-Salam Square in Kobani, Syria, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra Media)
![The central marketplace in Kobani, Syria, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra Media)](https://gdb.voanews.com/CA6A2E33-E54E-4D4A-A120-89C50CA3D259_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
The central marketplace in Kobani, Syria, Oct. 22, 2014. (Shirwan Qasim / Transterra Media)