Barack Obama: Fight against Islamic State an extremely complex challenge

Washington, Dec 6: There has been a "slow but steady" progress in the fight against the Sunni jihadi organisation Islamic State (IS), in Iraq and Syria, US President Barack Obama has said.

The battle against the Islamic State is "a long-term and extremely complex challenge", but would be "successful," Obama said on Friday, after meeting Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House, Xinhua reported.

The IS last June proclaimed a "caliphate" in the areas it controls in Iraq and Syria. The group has been named a terrorist organisation by the UN and European Union (EU).

Obama praised Jordan as "an important partner," as the kingdom is one of the five Arab countries that had joined the US-led air strikes on the IS targets in Syria.

For his part, Abdullah II said that his country has "a commitment to bring (about) a long-term solution (to the problems) in the region" and that there is a "generational fight" against extremism all over the world.

The US president said that his government would increase aid to support Jordan's reform efforts.

He also said that Washington and Amman would work together for "a Palestinian state."

IANS