The United States needs more intelligence on Islamic State (IS) movement in Syria if it intends to eliminate the militant group operating in Baghdad and Damascus, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, while in Afghanistan for a change of command ceremony, told reporters the U.S. already has a clear view on militant activity in Iraq but that more intelligence is needed on militant presence and activity in Syria.

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The IS threat can only be eliminated if both groups operating in Iraq and Syria are dealt with, said a senior Pentagon official.

According to KSDK, the U.S. military is conducting over 50 reconnaissance missions in Iraq daily and has to date, launched 96 airstrikes across Baghdad - which the administration claims is part of an initiative to protect its citizens and aid the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Dempsey's remarks come at the heels of Obama's endorsement to conduct surveillance missions over Syria, a move that some officials said could pave the way for future airstrikes in the region.

U.S. officials said the surveillance missions would provide the military with pertinent data to determine the viability of airstrikes. So far, President Barack Obama has not made a decision on military action in Syria.

Dempsey told media the U.S. is meeting with allies in the Middle East to discuss the potential threats posed by the IS, not just in Syria and Iraq but regionally as well. He believes major players in the region including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey will join efforts to eliminate the militant threat.

It is possible the discussions may lead to the formation of an alliance, he added.

He said the U.S. and its allies needed to develop a sustainable solution that would effectively undermine the support the IS enjoys from the Sunnis in the territory. To do that, it would require the combined application of the "tools of national power," including information, diplomatic, economic and military.

TagsISIS, Iraq, martin dempsey, Surveillance in Syria