The "Islamic State" (IS) has released at least 93 Kurds from Kobani. They were accused of being members of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which opposes the group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced on Tuesday.

The hostages were among more than 160 Kurds who were kidnapped in February as they made their way from northern Syria to neighboring Iraq. For the past seven weeks, the PYD has been fighting to defend Kobani against IS attacks.

At the end of October, IS also released about 25 Syrian Kurdish schoolchildren. They were the last to be freed of 153 schoolchildren who were kidnapped by the group in the northern province of Aleppo in May.

About 53 of the Kurds released on Monday made their way into Turkey, and the location of the other 40 is unknown, the Observatory announced. The militants are still holding about 70 more Kurds captive, it added.

It was not immediately clear why the hostages were released.

ksb/mkg (AFP, Reuters)