'US to increase anti-IS funds 50 percent to USD 7.5 billion'

The United States will spend USD 7.5 billion -- a 50 percent increase -- to fund the fight against the Islamic State group, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said today.

"Because we are accelerating the campaign, (the Pentagon) is backing that up in our budget with a total of USD 7.5 billion dollars in 2017, 50 percent more than 2016," Carter said in a speech in Washington.

"This will be critical as our updated coalition military campaign plan takes hold.