Commanders from the US-led coalition against Islamic State jihadists will meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss halting the group’s advance in Iraq and Syria, as air strikes failed to stop militants from reaching the centre of Kobane.
IS fighters claimed nearly half of the flashpoint town, on the border with Turkey, on Monday, despite more than three weeks of US-led airstrikes aimed at halting them. That failure will be among the main points up for discussion at today’s meeting in Washington of military chiefs from the 22 countries in the US-led coalition, as will Turkey’s call for the establishment of a protective buffer zone.
Top brass, including national chiefs of staff, will also meet US President Barack Obama at Andrews Air Force Base, the White House said. The generals will “discuss a common vision on the counter-ISIl campaign, challenges and the way ahead,” said US Colonel Ed Thomas, spokesman for the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.