IS: Abbott offers to send more Oz troops post Ramadi, Palmyra losses

Days after the Islamic State (IS) secured twin victories by capturing Ramadi in Iraq and the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has offered to send more troops to Iraq to bolster the anti-IS campaign.

Abbott said that the serious setbacks in Ramadi emphasised how "serious and necessary" the task was, reported abc.net.au.

IS although appeared to have slowed down in Iraq in recent months, but the two offensives on Ramadi and the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra have swung the momentum.

The loss of Ramadi, capital of Iraq's largest Anbar province, raised questions over the strategy adopted not only by Baghdad but also Washington to counter IS.

Currently, 600 Australian personnel are involved in the fight against IS as part of "Operation Okra," along with 300 soldiers attached to Task Group Taji, which is training Iraqi forces.