President Obama: 'We are taking the fight to terrorist group IS'

US President Barack Obama has made a statement at the White House in Washington, saying that the United States would take action against Islamic State (IS) militants both in Syria and Iraq, to deny them a safe haven anywhere.

Mr Obama said this was not America's fight alone, and that the US would act as part of a coalition.

He said they were joined in the operation by their ''friends and partners'' Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar.

''The overall effort will take time, there will be challenges ahead, but we're going to do what's necessary to take the fight to this terrorist group, for the security of the country and the region and for the entire world," he said.