US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has said the embattled Syrian city of Kobani is a "difficult problem", but insisted that airstrikes had made some progress in driving back Islamic State fighters.
Kurdish forces fighting IS militants on the streets of city, at the border with Turkey, say they are struggling to hold on to the city and have urged the US-led coalition to escalate airstrikes on IS.
Speaking in Santiago, Chile, Mr Hagel said: "We are doing what we can do through our airstrikes to help drive back ISIL (IS).
He admitted the battle against the militants, who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, was a long-term fight.
"It is a long-term effort. This is difficult, it is complicated. It's going to require many factors. And we are working now (with) coalition partners," he said.
Asked about the situation in Iraq, Mr Hagel said Iraqi security forces were in full control of Baghdad and continue to strengthen their positions there.
"We continue to help them with airstrikes, with our assistance and advisers."
The US-led coalition escalated airstrikes on IS in and around Kobani four days ago, but a Kurdish military official, speaking to Reuters from Kobani, said street fighting was making it harder for the warplanes to target IS positions.
"We have a problem, which is the war between houses," said Esmat al Sheikh, head of the Kobani defence council.
"The airstrikes are benefiting us, but Islamic State is bringing tanks and artillery from the east. We didn't see them with tanks, but yesterday we saw T-57 tanks."
Meanwhile, IS militants have released footage of themselves fighting in the streets of the Syrian town.
The footage, which could not be verified, showed masked men walking through deserted streets firing machine guns and rocket launchers at unseen targets.
Sky's Middle East correspondent Sherine Tadros, reporting from the Turkey-Syria border, said: "(IS fighters) have been pushing in and pushing back the militias back right to the border with Turkey
"That is where we understand the militias are holding their front line.
"We can the sound of heavy machine gun fire. It has been near constant for the last few hours.
"I think it is too early to say the militants are in full control of Kobani but certainly the next few hours seem decisive."
Most residents of the predominantly Kurdish town have fled since the IS assault on Kobani began in mid-September, but the UN has warned more than 500 people still trapped there could be massacred.
More than 200,000 people are believed to have fled over the border to Turkey but thousands of others are said to be unable to cross.
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