Fallon: IS fight will take 'months, possibly years'

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said the struggle against Islamic State would take "months and possibly years" and could not be resolved simply by swift air strikes.

Asked how Britain would respond to a request for air strikes against IS forces from the new Iraqi government expected to be formed in the next few days, Mr Fallon told BBC News: "Each country will have to respond and parliaments across Nato will have to come to their own decisions as to whether they are prepared to get behind military action to halt the advance of Isil.

"Air strikes alone aren't going to defeat Isil. This has to be done on a much broader scale, it has to involve all of us in the alliance standing together, it has to involve other countries in the Middle East, and it's an engagement that is going to take months and possibly years."

He said the Nato countries had "all now come together" on the understanding that cooperation with governments in the Middle East would be required to "halt the advance of Isil and start to drive it back.

"We are willing to help in that," he added.