US to look for potential anti-Islamic-State coalition members in East Asia
US Gen. John Allen has announced that he intends to travel to East Asia to look for more potential members for the US-led anti-ISIL (Islamic State) coalition, which has been launching airstrikes against the extremists in Iraq and Syria, the Jordanian Petra News Agency reports, according to Sputnik News.
Gen. Allen did not specify which countries he intends to go to.
Allen also told Petra that in the coming weeks, the anti-ISIL coalition plans to provide support to the Iraqi forces, which will launch a ground campaign against ISIL militants in the near future.
Members of the international coalition are currently providing training to Iraqi soldiers.
Meanwhile the Kurdish militia in Iraq, known as the Peshmerga, has been fighting IS militants on the ground on a regular basis. Their efforts have been backed by airstrikes carried by the anti-ISIL coalition, which was established by US President Barack Obama in September, 2014.
Obama has promised that the coalition would arm Kurds, Iraqis and Syria's "moderate" opposition so that they can fight IS militants on the ground.