Syria: Jubilant scenes as YPG Kurdish fighters pincer Isis inside Tel Abyad

Kurdish YPG forces have encircled the Islamic State (Isis)-held town of Tel Abyad, cutting off a key supply line for the jihadists' de facto capital of Raqqa.

YPG spokesman Redur Xelil told Reuters that its Syrian militia surrounded the town, which sits close to the Turkish border, with the help of US-led air strikes. "Tel Abyad is almost besieged now after the control of the Raqqa-Tel Abyad road," he said.

The Kurdish militia also liberated the border crossing point between the town and Turkey.

Kurdish forces sent reinforcements to the area south of Tel Abyad from its stronghold in Hasaka province, north east, and from Kobani, north west of Tel Abyad.

Pictures were posted on Kurdish Twitter accounts of YPG fighters coming from the two areas joining forces and hugging each other after liberating the village Ciseriye, 17km south of Tel Abyad.

Clashes between IS and YPG forced 16,000 people to flee in just two weeks. Up to 3,000 arrived at the Akcakale border crossing with Turkey on Monday 15 June.

Earlier on Monday, the YPG rebutted accusations from other Islamist rebel groups that the Kurdish militia committed ethnic cleansing against Arabs and Turkmen in northern Syria.