Kerry discusses terror attacks with Al Jubeir

Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry held an impromptu meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir during which the two leaders discussed terror attacks in the kingdom and challenges being posed by Daesh.

“The two discussed the need to combat and defeat Daesh, including in Syria, where the Kingdom has offered to commit troops to the counter-Daesh campaign,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.

Kerry and his Saudi counterpart also discussed the need for a political transition in Syria, the situation in Libya, the effort to reach a political resolution in Yemen, and recent developments between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Earlier on Wednesday the State Department “strongly” condemned the recent spate of deadly terrorist attacks that have been focused on civilians, including women and children, and which have brutally taken hundreds of lives from Istanbul to Dhaka to Baghdad to the attacks in Saudi Arabia.

“These acts have shown no respect for human life, whether young or old, male or female, Muslim or non-Muslim. These terrorists murdered without discretion,” Kirby said.

“We cannot say whether these attacks were coordinated or whether they were conducted by independent opportunists,” he added.