Twenty-six countries and international groups have committed to help in the fight against the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) by providing the appropriate military assistance and helping Iraq build up its capabilities.

Foreign ministers of the 26 countries attending the International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq Monday said they are willing to extend whatever support is necessary to end the jihadist scourge quickly. The United Nations, European Union, and the Arab League were also represented in the conference.

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The Paris summit was organized by French president Francois Hollande and Iraqi President Fuad Masum, who met in Baghdad last week as U.S. air strikes were targeting ISIL positions. That time, other countries including France and Britain were conducting humanitarian missions to help thousands of refugees who had fled towns and cities overrun by the ISIL.

In a joint statement released after the conference, the foreign ministers committed to "supporting the new Iraqi government in its fight against the Daech (ISIL) by all means necessary, including appropriate military assistance, in line with the needs expressed by the Iraqi authorities."

Daesh is the term used by Arab governments in referring to the ISIL; it is the Arabic acronym for the group's full original name.

Hollande and Masum decided to call the conference in order to agree on a strategy to combat the extremist group which has killed hundreds of Iraqis and Syrians, and continue to control large parts of the two countries.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry had just concluded a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, meeting with senior leaders in the region and encouraging support for President Barack Obama's decision to intensify the fight against the ISIL.

On the outcome of the Paris conference, Kerry said he was "extremely encouraged" by the promises of military assistance coming from the participants.

France announced that it had already started conducting surveillance flights over Iraq in coordination with U.S. and British forces.

Australia has announced that it will be sending 600 troops and a contingent of fighter jets to the UAE to be ready for combat operations in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey pledged to continue to allow humanitarian and logistical operations from the NATO air base in its territory; it had earlier imposed stricter border controls to prevent prospective ISIL fighters from crossing into Iraq.

On Saturday, the ISIL released a video showing the murder of British aid worker David Haines. The BBC says the murder has added momentum to the plans presented and agreed on during the summit.

Iraqi President Masum emphasized the need for the international community to act quickly and pursue the ISIL.

"If this intervention and support to Iraq is late, that means that Islamic State could occupy more territory and the threat it poses will be even bigger," he stressed.

Among ten Arab countries that are now part of the anti-ISIL coalition, several had offered to take part in air strikes on ISIL positions, according to U.S. officials.

Obama's strategy to defeat the extremist group is centered on military support for Iraq and for certain factions of Syrian rebels. It also includes plans to stop foreign fighters from strengthening the group, countering its ideology, and cutting financial support coming from outside sources. 

TagsParis, European Union