(VOVworld) - The US has begun surveillance flights over Syria. The move could pave the way for air strikes against the self-declared Islamic State, whose fighters are spreading out in both Iraq and Syria.

US President Barack Obama has long resisted taking military action in Syria

The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, told reporters in Kabul that Washington needs more reliable intelligence sources about IS fighters in Syria to devise a suitable plan. Dempsey noted that the US is meeting with its allies to discuss possible threats from the IS.The deployment of surveillance aircraft over Syria came after IS militants seized a Syrian air base last Sunday and publicized the execution of US journalist James Foley. The IS has threatened to murder US citizens detained by extremists in Syria.In related news, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem called on the international community to collaborate with Syria to combat the IS and asked neighboring countries to stop supporting jihadists.