Kurdish Fighters Want More Military Aid to Take Down Islamic State

Kurds are asking for more military and financial aid from the West to fight the Islamic State, Sky News reported Thursday.

MOSCOW, January 22 (Sputnik) — Kurdish forces are asking for more help, including military aid and training, from the West to fight the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, Sky News reported Thursday.

"We need continuous support and training. We are in need of ammunition. We need new weapons to win this war," Lieutenant General Jabar Manda told Sky News in an exclusive interview.

The Kurdish militia in Iraq, known as the Peshmerga, has been fighting IS militants on the ground on a regular basis, while the US-led coalition has been launching airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria.

"If the other nations would like to fight alongside us then we have no problem with that, we would like to fight with them," Manda said.

The Kurdish commander also warned of the threat the IS poses to the security of Western states.

"IS is an international terrorist group threatening the whole world just like we saw in France. They are threatening America and Britain and other countries," he emphasized.

The announcement was made prior to anti-IS coalition talks in London on Thursday. Foreign ministers from 21 countries are currently discussing joint strategy in fighting the militant group.

The IS radical Sunni group began fighting the Syrian government in 2012, later expanding its operations to Iraq. The militant group has declared a caliphate on the territories under its control in both countries.