British Prime Minister David Cameron says his country needs to take a greater role in destroying the Islamic State group in Syria.
Appearing Sunday on the NBC News' program Meet the Press, Cameron said, "We know that we have to defeat ISIL, we have to destroy this caliphate, whether it is in Iraq or in Syria. That is a key part of defeating this terrorist scourge that we face.''
Britain's military said last week its forces have conducted airstrikes on Syria when embedded with coalition forces. Britain has been providing surveillance and air-to-air refueling over Syria and launching attacks on Iraq as part of the international coalition fighting Islamic States terrorists.
Baghdad car bombing
IS extremists claimed responsibility for a massive car bombing that killed more than 130 people late Friday near Baghdad. Officials say the attack that wounded at least 170 others was the worst such bombing targeting Iraqi civilians in the past decade.
A White House statement called the bombing in the marketplace of the mainly Shi'ite town of Khan Beni Saad "yet another painful example of the atrocities that the terrorist group ISIL continues to perpetrate against the people of Iraq." It said the terrorists "purposefully and viciously targeted Iraqi civilians celebrating the Eid-al-Fitr holiday" that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
The United Nations mission in Iraq issued a statement describing the attack as "horrible carnage [that] is truly outside all boundaries of civilized behavior."
Islamic State militants said the attack was aimed at killing Shi'ite Muslims. The group claimed on Twitter that the bomber was carrying about three tons of explosives in his vehicle.
The extremist group often uses the Internet and social media to publicize its actions and recruit members.
In his remarks to NBC Prime Minister Cameron also said he hoped to persuade young Britons to reject Islamic State and its dictates.
Cameron told NBC, "We have got to defeat the narrative of extremism, even when it is not connected to the violence. Because it is the narrative that is the jumping-off point for these young people to then go and join this dreadful death cult in Iraq and Syria.''
