WASHINGTON, October 22 (RIA Novosti) - Iraqi Government Security Forces should be taking the fight to the Islamic State (IS) as opposed to Iraqi militia groups, US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said at a press briefing.
“The people on the ground that need to fight ISIL are the Iraq Security Forces, not militias. Prime Minister Abadi has talked about regulating militias, [he] understands the historical challenges with Shia militia groups. We believe it should be the government security forces fighting ISIL,” Harf said Tuesday.
However, the United States is leading an effort to arm, train and supply non-governmental Kurdish militia groups in Syria.
On October 19 the United States airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Kurdish troops defending the Syrian border town of Kobani against IS insurgents.
The IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq and declared an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
The US-led international coalition, formed in September, has been carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State positions in both Iraq and Syria.
