US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter announced on Tuesday that the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq was "laying the groundwork"
![Ashton Carter [AFP]](/sites/default/files/styles/image_330x185/public/media/images/10E39595-9413-4FE7-953E-818D083D14B0.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=9g-1lp2C "Ashton Carter [AFP]")
![US-led coalition airstrikes Syria [AFP]](/sites/default/files/styles/image_156x88/public/media/images/A71AC40D-FF97-469D-918A-6CF66F65587D.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=K03frcyj "US-led coalition airstrikes Syria [AFP]")
