United Nations Envoy Says People In Syrian Town Will Be 'Massacred' By Islamic State

The United Nations released a warning to international communities on Friday that suggests a possible massacre could took place if the Islamic State is able to gain full control of the Syrian border town of Kobani, where 500 residents are currently trapped.

The U.N. envoy to Syria called on international powers to offer their help to the 500 civilians trapped in the town, where Kurdish forces and Islamic State militants have reportedly been battling in the streets to gain control of the city, an important location for the Islamic State as it sits on the border of Syria and Turkey.

200,000 people have reportedly already fled to Turkey from Kobani, and another 500 have been killed in fighting with the Islamic State. On Friday, Islamic State militants shelled a border patrol crossing in an attempt to seal off Kobani from Turkey and gain further control of the border city.

Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy to Syria, said that there is only a small opening where people can enter and flee Kobani, and about 500 to 700 elderly people remained trapped in the battle-torn city, with another 10,000 to 13,000 stuck in a nearby city.

De Mistura said the international community "[knows] what [the Islamic State] are capable of doing," adding that the people left in Kobani "will be most likely massacred."

"When there is an imminent threat to civilians, we cannot, we should not, be silent," he added, imploring the international community to offer aid to the civilians stuck in the border town.