NATO to formally join U.S.-led anti-'Islamic State' coalition

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will formally join the United States-led coalition against the Islamic State extremist group, DW reported, citing sources.

The decision is expected to be formally announced on Thursday at the meeting of the NATO leaders in Brussels.

Reportedly, Germany and France will formally agree to the plan during the talks attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived in Brussels on Wednesday.

The decision is expected to be formally announced on Thursday at the meeting of NATO leaders in Brussels, the sources said.

Diplomats said the decision was mainly political because all 28 NATO members already contributed to the coalition fighting to retake areas of Iraq and Syria from the extremist group.

The decision to formally join the coalition follows pressure from Trump, who has previously accused the NATO of being "obsolete" and called for European countries to step up their funding of the military group, according to the DW.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that it would be an important step for the alliance to join the 68-nation anti-IS coalition.