German Foreign Ministers Says Defeating Islamic State Will Not Be Easy

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that the United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State knows that a victory by military means will not be easy.

Steinmeier made the statement at a Paris conference on combating the terrorist group, adding that winning peace will be difficult.

The meeting came after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called for additional support from the coalition in fighting the Islamic State, which has gained ground in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S.-led coalition includes 25 nations that have shared intelligence, assisted Iraqi ground operations, and mustered airstrikes against the extremists.