The Islamic State's scorched earth policy in Kobani
Since the Islamic State was defeated in Kobani in January, the group has been setting ablaze the crops of the residents there.
![MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-KOBANI A man walks past abandoned buildings in the northern Syrian town of Kobani January 30, 2015. Sheets meant to hide residents from snipers' sights still hang over streets in the Syrian border town of Kobani, and its shattered buildings and cratered roads suggest those who fled are unlikely to return soon. Kurdish forces said this week they had taken full control of Kobani, a mainly Kurdish town near the Turkish border, after months of bombardment by Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot that has spread across S](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2015/06/RTR4NMUW.jpg/RTR4NMUW.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=6wJZeed-)
KOBANI, Syria — Massive fires broke out In early June in the agricultural areas of this Kurdish-majority city, affecting wheat and barley crops and fruit trees. The Islamic State (IS) used heavy weaponry to target these areas following its late January defeat in Kobani at the hands of Kurdish forces and the international coalition.
Setting these fertile lands ablaze is one of the attempts by IS to intimidate the citizens who returned to Kobani after the group’s departure from the city.