Islamic State militants are closing in on the Syrian town of Kobani, a key Kurdish stronghold near the border with Turkey.

“They are two- to three- kilometers away from the southeastern tip of Kobani as of this morning,” Mustafa Denktas, a member of mayoral council of the Turkish border town of Suruc, said by phone today. Islamic State shelled the center of Kobani with mortars, CNN-Turk reported today.

The al-Qaeda breakaway group launched an offensive to take Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab, last month, prompting thousands to flee their homes into Turkey. U.S.-led forces have carried out air strikes on territory controlled by Islamic State near the conflict zone with the Kurds. Denktas said warplanes were circulating the area today.

Turkey’s government is seeking parliamentary approval for possible military action in Syria and Iraq that would allow its own forces to target Islamic State and permit foreign troops to use Turkish soil.

The parliament is expected to vote and approve the bill tomorrow, marking Turkey’s commitment to join the coalition assembled the U.S. to fight Islamic State, reversing an earlier reluctance to get involved in the conflict. Turkey “can’t stay out” of the campaign, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sept. 28.