A report by Press TV quotes Kerry having told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday the offensive is not going to be a brief one and will take years to end.

“The issue that confronts us today is one on which we all ought to be able to agree. ISIL must be defeated, period, end of story. And collectively, we are all going to be measured by how we carry out this mission,” he said.

He said two pillars of the US strategy is forming an inclusive government in Iraq and building an anti-ISIL coalition.  "At this moment, no country has been asked to put boots on the ground or no country is talking of it. And we don't think it's a good idea right now."

Kerry claimed that more than 50 nations have already agreed to join the coalition to help defeat ISIL.

The top US diplomat noted that Washington should dry up ISIL funding and stop the flow of foreign militants who are joining the terrorist group.(KH)