Washington - US' Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with defense ministers from 27 nations participating in the counter-ISIS campaign, Defense spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Sarah Higgins said in a news release today. Mattis was attending the counter-ISIS ministerial meeting at the NATO headquarters, located near Brussels. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed ministers and listened to the discussion, which also included senior representatives from seven coalition nations whose ministers were unable to attend, Higgins said. The meeting focused on the counter-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria, including an update on the current military plan through the end of the year. Mattis welcomed feedback from his counterparts on the campaign plan and thanked them for their countries' contributions. He enjoined them to continue working together to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the campaign, thereby speeding the demise of ISIS, she said. The ministers agreed to meet again in the fall to discuss the state of the campaign and consider additional adjustments based on the changing environment and other lessons learned, Higgins said.
