CIA triples estimate of ISIS strength

Washington: A day after President Barack Obama vowed to strike the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists "wherever they exist" to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the militant group, a CIA assessment increased its strength over three times to 31,500.

CNN cited a CIA spokesman as saying on Thursday that the Sunni terror group that calls itself the Islamic State "can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria" as against 10,000 fighters earlier estimated by US officials. These included those who were freed from prisons by Sunni militants and Sunni loyalists who have joined the fight as the group advanced across Iraq. "This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity and as saying.

Germany plans to send about 40 paratroopers to Iraq to provide weapons training to Kurdish fighters battling an Islamic extremist insurgency. The defence ministry says about six soldiers will accompany each shipment of German arms that will start being flown to Iraq later this month. Separately, some 30 Kurdish fighters will start training on more complex weapons systems in southern Germany at the end of the month. Germany also has banned all activity on behalf of the Islamic State extremist group, including the distribution of propaganda material and the display of its symbols.