The Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain-al-Arab, has been the site of fierce fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamic State (ISIS) for over three weeks. Some have even come to see it as a crucible for President Obama’s military strategy, arguing that if ISIS can still make territorial gains despite US air strikes, the wider chances for victory over Islamic State are pretty bleak.

But what’s really at stake in the battle of Kobane?

For one there are various strategic considerations which are driving Islamic State to try and secure Kobane before US-led airstrikes begin taking their toll. Holding the town would give the jihadist group control over a long stretch of the Syrian border with Turkey, effectively cutting off potential competitors within Syria from the outside aid and weapon shipments that could help turn the tide of the civil war. It would also shore up Islamic State’s grip on the road network in eastern Syria. Increased physical security would allow the group to focus on the administrative side of its operations – the extortion-cum-tax-collecting, law drafting and enforcement, and economic consolidation that have come to characterize the ‘state’ side of the ISIS equation.