London hosts anti-IS coalition

The foreign ministers of 22 countries are meeting in London to discuss plans to fight the jihadist Islamic State group (IS).

IS controls large portions of Syria and Iraq, with a US-led coalition carrying out air strikes since August. However, UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond said that much more needs to be done.

“The countries want to find ways to halt the flow of recruits to IS, cut off its funding and tackle the underlying narrative,” Hammond said.

“Countries will also look at providing more military assistance to those fighting IS on the ground, and more humanitarian aid to its victims,” he added.

The talks will be co-hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry who said that violent extremists hoped such attacks would drive the coalition apart, but that they are having the opposite effect:

“They're bringing us together with greater determination, with greater resolve to be able to get the job done,” Kerry said.