Washington: The chief of US armed forces, General Martin Dempsey, said that the air strikes in Syria have damaged the Islamic State (IS) militants, as per news reports on Saturday.
While speaking at Pentagon, Dempsey said that the air strikes in Syria had made a dent in the line of command of the militant group. He added that control and logistics capabilities of the IS have also been damaged, the BBC reported.
Dempsey added that only air strikes are not sufficient and called for deploying around 15,000 fighters in ground forces in Syria.
He also reportedly called for a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria and Iraq.
“Ideally, for the kind of issues we are confronting there, the only effective force which will be able to reject ISIS from within its own population comprise Iraqi, Kurds and moderate Syrian opposition, Dempsey said while addressing a press conference.
At least 40 countries have joined the US-led coalition which has launched an operation against Islamic State after US President Barack Obama's call to support the fight.
Britain joined the coalition on Friday after the country's Parliament voted 542 to 43 to support Prime Minister David Cameron's decision.
The coalition also includes Belgium, Denmark and Arab states which are concerned with the rise of IS.
The terror group has made its presence felt in the war-torn countries of Syria and Iraq. While it now controls most areas in north-east Syria, it seized northern Iraqi territories as well.
