(VOVworld) - Top officials from 21 countries held talks in London on Thursday on pushing back Islamic State militants (IS) in Iraq and Syria and tackling the growing threat of Islamic jihadists in Europe.

Coalition air strikes have targeted IS positions in Syria and in Iraq (Photo: Reuters)

It is the first time the US-led coalition has met since attacks in Paris against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the following kidnapping that left 17 people dead. Co-chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, the meeting saw the attendance of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and top officials from 20 member countries of the US-led coalition against the IS.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the talks discussed training Iraqi forces and advancing the global anti-terrorism strategy.