Islamic State group can only be defeated by using combat troops on the ground, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has told a meeting in Brussels.
Prince Saud said an aerial bombing campaign was not enough to beat the extremist militia now controlling territory in Syria and Iraq.
He told coalition foreign ministers from more than 60 countries: “We are all well aware that countering terrorism will take a long time and requires continuing effort.
“Out of the Kingdom’s keenness to further the cohesion of this coalition and the success of its efforts, we believe that this requires the presence of combat troops on the ground.”
The meeting on Wednesday was the largest between anti-ISIS coalition foreign ministers since the inception of the alliance.
The Saudi foreign minister also called for increased efforts to ‘strengthen the forces of moderation in Syria’ such as the Free Syrian Army.
He added: “This would unite the efforts of these forces to be used to purge Syrian territory of all terrorist organizations, which currently occupy one-third of Syria.”
And he said of ISIS’s presence in Iraq: “This requires the unity of the international front, the restructuring and rehabilitation of the Iraqi army under a collective doctrine with national and comprehensive participation of all sections of the Iraqi people away from sectarian exclusionary policies.”
Prince Saud also stressed that Saudi Arabia remains ‘at the forefront of the fight against terrorism’, adding: “The Kingdom’s hosting of the regional conference to confront armed terrorist groups in the region in Jeddah last September formed the nucleus of this international coalition against the terrorist organization ISIS.
“The contribution of the Kingdom has not been confined to participation in military operations against the group but has also extended to include the provision of humanitarian assistance to the brotherly Iraqi people and coordination with the international community to target the sources of financing for terrorist groups.”