Syrian border town of Kobani and surrounding area, as seen from Kucuk Kendirciler on the Turkish side of the border – 8 October 2014

1. Distant skyline with smoke drifting across, AUDIO: distant artillery, shouting and whistling builds up, sound of impact, camera sharp pan left to huge cloud of thick smoke rising from behind hillock, AUDIO: more whistling, clapping and cheering, zoom into plume, flag flying on hillock

2. Wide, view of smoke plume

3. Plume of black smoke rising from Kobani

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, DC – 8 October 2014

4. Wide, Secretary of State John Kerry with British Foreign Secretary walking towards reporters

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Kerry, Secretary of State: (Transcript below)

AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Syrian border town of Kobani and surrounding area, as seen from Kucuk Kendirciler on the Turkish side of the border – 8 October 2014

6. Pull out from smoke plume on hillside

7. Mid, smoke over Kobani

8. Wide, skyline of Kobani, AUDIO: distant artillery, shouting and whistling builds up, camera pulls out and pans sharply to left and focuses on huge cloud AUDIO: impact, more whistling and clapping, more artillery fire

8. Close-up black Islamic State militant group flag on hill in front of smoke

9. Wide, military vehicles driving along road in front of Kobani

10. Zoom into minaret

11. Wide, Kobani, AUDIO: gunfire

12. Wide shot of smoke drifting away

13. Mid, smoke plumes, AUDIO: crowds cheering

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Suruc, Sanliurfa Province, Turkey

14. Various of makeshift refugee camp

15. Women and children in the camp

AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Kucuk Kendirciler on the Turkish side of the border – 8 October 2014

16. Wide, Turkish tanks along border with Syria

VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:

(Nats, airstike explosion)

NEW U.S.-LED AIRSTRIKES NEAR THE SYRIAN BORDER TOWN OF KOBANI ARE HELPING KURDISH FIGHTERS PUSH BACK THE ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS A DAY AFTER THEY APPEARED ON THE VERGE OF SEIZING THE TOWN.

BUT, SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY IS TEMPERING EXPECTATIONS FROM WASHINGTON …

(SOT: John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State)

“We are deeply concerned about the people of Kobani who are battling against ISIL terrorists // We conducted strikes both Monday and Tuesday and now … but as horrific as it is to watch in real time, what is happening in Kobani it is also important to remember you have to step back and understand the strategic objective …”

JUST ACROSS THE BORDER FROM KOBANI IN TURKEY, CROWDS CHEERED AND WHISTLED AS AIRSTRIKES APPEARED TO HIT MILITANT POSITIONS …

(Nats, cheering)

SEVERAL SYRIAN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS APPEALED FOR HELP TO SAVE THE EMBATTLED KURDISH TOWN.

ONE ACTIVIST GROUP SAID THE STRIKES KILLED AT LEAST 45 MILITANTS SINCE LATE MONDAY, FORCING THEM TO PARTIALLY WITHDRAW.

THEY ALSO SAY A GROUND ATTACK, CARRIED OUT BY KURDISH FIGHTERS, DESTROYED A MOSQUE MINARET, WHICH THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP HAD BEEN USING AS AN OUTLOOK.

HEAVY GUNFIRE WAS ALSO HEARD FROM INSIDE THE TOWN _ A SIGN OF FRESH CLASHES WEDNESDAY.

KOBANI HAS BEEN UNDER THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP SINCE MID-SEPTEMBER WHEN THE MILITANTS’ LAUNCHED THEIR OFFENSIVE IN THE AREA, CAPTURING SEVERAL KURDISH VILLAGES AND BRINGING SYRIA’S CIVIL WAR TO TURKEY’S DOORSTEP.

THE FIGHTING HAS FORCED SOME 200,000 TO FLEE AND SEEK SHELTER ACROSS THE FRONTIER IN TURKEY.

TRACY BROWN/Associated Press