US President, Iraqi PM to Discuss Fight Against ISIL at White House

The fight against the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group will be the main issue of a meeting of US President Barack Obama with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi is set to discuss the fight against the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group with US President Barack Obama at the White House later on Tuesday.

The Iraqi Prime Minister is expected to ask for increased military assistance from the United States, including drones and other weapons worth billions of dollars, according to various media reports.

A White House press release said that Abadi's visit would underscore "the strong US commitment to political and military cooperation with Iraq in the joint fight" against the ISIL.

Meanwhile, the US-led coalition of over 60 countries continues to carry out air operations against ISIL positions in Iraq and neighboring Syria. The airstrikes were authorized by President Obama in August 2014.

On Monday, the US Defense Department said in a statement that up to 30 percent of the Iraqi territory seized by the ISIL had been retaken since the start of the air campaign.

Obama and Abadi will also discuss how Washington and Baghdad can expand political, commercial and cultural relations, as well as the Iraqi government's "actions to address the needs of the Iraqi people," according to the White House press release.

The two leaders held a bilateral meeting for the first time at the UN headquarters in New York shortly after Abadi assumed office in September 2014.