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Turkey will allow the US to use its military bases for operations against the Islamic State group (IS, formerly known as ISIS) in Syria and Iraq, United States defence officials said on Sunday.

The deal comes as fighting continues between Kurdish forces and IS fighters in the Syrian town of Kobane, just a few hundred metres from the Turkish border.

Incirlik, a key airbase in southern Turkey near the border with Syria, will be among the bases that the US and its allied troops will use. 

Ankara has also reportedly agreed to train 4,000 "moderate" Syrian opposition fighters on Turkish soil. They are to be screened by Turkish intelligence, said officials.

Doing the deal

Turkey had previously said that supporting "moderate opposition" forces against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad must come alongside efforts to fight IS militants.

The deal comes as fighting continues between Kurdish forces and IS fighters in the Syrian town of Kobane, just a few hundred metres from the Turkish border.

Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish prime minister and former foreign minister, said on Sunday that a security force was needed "to protect the Syrian people both from IS and the [Damascus] regime".  

The US is also hoping to encourage Turkey into further diplomatic dealings, said Washington officials, yet details remain unclear.

Earlier on Sunday, President Barack Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice, made clear the US had not asked Turkey "to send ground forces of their own into Syria".

Turkey has faced criticism from its own Kurdish population over its perceived lack of action against the IS group in Kobani, with protests turning violent in several cities.

According to official figures released on Friday, four days of violence left 31 dead and 360 wounded.