The end of Islamic State terrorists may be just around the corner after 34 countries formed a new military task force to finish the death cult once and for all.
Saudi Arabia announced this morning that it had brokered the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism.
A statement read: "The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations."
Arab countries involved include Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, together with Islamic countries Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and Gulf Arab and African states.
The announcement cited "a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorize the innocent".
Shi'ite Muslim Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's arch rival for influence in the Arab world, was absent from the states named as participants in the anti-terror group.The United States has been increasingly outspoken about its view that Gulf Arab states should do more to aid the military campaign against ISIS, which is based across Iraq and Syria.
In a rare press conference, 30-year-old deputy crown prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman said the campaign would "coordinate" efforts to fight terrorism in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan.
However he offered few concrete ways in which military action may proceed.
"There will be international coordination with major powers and international organisations ... in terms of operations in Syria and Iraq.
"We can't undertake these operations without coordinating with legitimacy in this place and the international community," bin Salman said.
Asked if the new alliance would focus just on ISIS, bin Salman said it would confront not only that group but "any terrorist organisation that appears in front of us."
ISIS has pledged to overthrow the monarchies of the Gulf and have mounted a series of attacks on Shi'ite Muslim mosques and security forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The countries involved in full
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Palestinians, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
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